Stun Bayer and Gers could get Inter them

BY DAVID McCARTHY

RANGERS face the mouthwatering prospect of a one-off quarter-final clash with Inter Milan or Getafe if they can mount an incredible Europa League comeback against Bayer Leverkusen in Germany next month.

Steven Gerrard’s men trail the Bundesliga outfit 3-1 after the first leg at Ibrox – the final match before Scotland’s game was locked down – but now know they will face Italian or Spanish opposition, should they pull off what would be one of the very best results in their history.

The Europa League draw, held in Nyon yesterday, also plotted the pathway to the semi-finals and should Rangers get there, they’d face one of Shakhtar Donesk, Wolfsburg, Basel or Frankfurt.

The other half of the draw has thrown up the possibility of Manchester United facing Wolves in the semi-finals.

United, already 5-0 up in their last 16 tie against LASK, will face Copenhagen or Basaksehir in the quarterfinals, while Wolves, tied at 1-1 with Olympakios, would take on either Roma or Sevilla in the last eight.

UEFA has given the green light for the round-of-16 second legs to be played on August 5 and 6 at home teams’ stadiums.

Inter Milan and Getafe, and Sevilla and Roma both had their Europa League last-16 first legs postponed, so those ties will be completed as a single leg in Germany before the tournament gets underway.

Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Gelsenkirchen and Cologne will be the host venues for the mini-tournament, with the latter hosting the final on August 21.