Next month, Rangers will discover their fate in terms of opponents for Europa League qualifying.
As we now know, the Gers are seeded [Scottish Sun], just about making the cut for QR2.
That makes things a little easier. However, as we know, the first round can deliver unwanted surprises.
After all, under the reign of Pedro Caixinha, the Gers lost out to Progres Niederkorn at that stage.
Here, we use the UEFA seeding list for the first round, as published by
CS Universitatea Craiova
With a score of 3.190, Universitatea are the highest ranked of the unseeded teams set to be involved in the first round.
According to Soccerway, they finished third in Romania’s Liga I regular season. However, their results slipped off in the playoffs, where they lost to Cluj, FCSB, and Viitrorul.
They were knocked out of this season’s Cupa Romaniei at the semi-final stage.
DAC Dunajska Streda
Secondly, with a coefficient of 3.125, is DAC.
They finished runners-up in the 2018/19 edition of the Slovakian Super Liga [Soccerway]. However, they were a full 17 points behind champions, Sloven Bratislava.
They play their home matches in the 12,700 capacity MOL Arena in Dunajska Streda.
MFK Ruzomberok
Finally, we have another team from the Slovakian Super Liga. Ruzomberok have an identical ranking to DAC – with 3.125.
Despite winning four of their last five league fixtures, they finished third by a full seven points.
Founded in 1906 and operating out of a much smaller ground with a capacity of under 5000, Ruzomberok reached the third qualifying round in 2017.
Other names to look out for:
DVSC Debrecen – Hungary (Coefficient – 3.000)
Progres Niederkorn – Luxembourg (Coefficient – 2.750)
Cliftonville F.C – Northern Ireland (Coefficient – 2.500)
