Champions League draw: Rangers to face Servette or Genk in third qualifying round, PSV Eindhoven draw Sturm Graz
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Updated 24/07/2023 at 13:17 GMT+1
Rangers face another tough battle to reach the Champions League group stage after finishing as runners-up in the Scottish Premiership last season. Michael Beale's side will face Servette of Switzerland or Belgians Genk in the third qualifying round, with the winner progressing to the play-off round. Rangers reached the group stage for the first time in 11 years in 2022/23 but lost every game.
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Rangers will face Servette or Genk in the third round of Champions League qualifying as they look to return to the group stage.
The Scottish side learned their fate in Monday’s draw, which also pitted PSV Eindhoven against Sturm Graz, and Braga against Serbian side Backa Topola.
Rangers, Europa League runners-up in 2021/22, finished second behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership last season and will have to get back into European football’s top-tier competition the hard way.
They qualified for the group stage for the first time in 11 years last year, but finished bottom of their section, losing every game in a tricky group featuring Liverpool, Napoli and Ajax.
The Gers battled past Union Saint-Gilloise and PSV to reach the main event last year and the first obstacle in their path in 2023/24 will be Swiss side Servette or Belgians Genk.
“The opportunity to play in that competition is the optimal level for the players, it's where everyone wants to get at in football - to play in the Champions League,” Rangers manager Michael Beale said.
“It's really important. We've done very well in Europe in the last few years, certainly in the Europa League from where we came from in 2018.
“Last season, to qualify for the Champions League, was a fantastic achievement. It didn't go the way anyone wanted, but this year is another opportunity. No one would like to come to Ibrox, I don't think, but we know it's going to be tough to qualify again.”
Servette finished second in the Swiss Super League last season, while Genk were also runners-up in Belgium.
The two-legged ties are scheduled for August 8/9 and 15.
The winner will then progress to the final play-off round, which will be played over two legs on August 22/23 and 29/30.
Champions League third qualifying round draw
Champions path
- Rakow Czestochowa (POL) / Qarabağ FK (AZE) vs Aris Limassol FC (CYP) / FC BATE Borisov (BLR)
- HSK Zrinjski (BIH) / SK Slovan Bratislava (SVK) vs FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA) / Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR)
- AEK Athens FC (GRE) vs GNK Dinamo (CRO) / FC Astana (KAZ)
- PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL) / NK Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs FK Zalgiris Vilnius (LTU) / Galatasaray A.S. (TUR)
- Breidablik (ISL) / F.C. Copenhagen (DEN) vs AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
- KÍ Klaksvik (FRO) / BK Hacken (SWE) vs HJK Helsinki (FIN) / Molde FK (NOR)
League path
- SC Braga (POR) vs FK TSC Backa Topola (SRB)
- Rangers FC (SCO) vs Servette FC (SUI) / KRC Genk (BEL)
- SC Dnipro-1 (UKR) / Panathinaikos FC (GRE) vs Olympique de Marseille (FRA)
- PSV Eindhoven (NED) vs SK Sturm Graz (AUT)
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