Favourable European draw pairs Rangers with Royal Antwerp
Rangers will travel back to Belgium in the last 32 of the UEFA Europa League.
The knock- out stage draw took place at lunch time in Switzerland and Portuguese international Maniche paired Steven Gerrard’s side with a return to the Lowlands after a 2-0 win in Liege against Standard in the group stage and a preliminary round win over Willem II in Holland earlier this season.
Now Royal Antwerp, who hold an almost identical league record as the vanquished Liege side with 25 points from 16 games, but sit one place better off in the Belgian Jupiler League with a single goal difference advantage, lie in wait next year.
Tottenham were defeated by the Belgians in an off-night for Jose Mourinho’s side during the group stage so there are cautious warnings to be heeded for Steven Gerrard’s team.
However, it will still be viewed as a favourable draw for the unbeaten SPFL Premiership league leaders–aided by seed in gin this afternoon’ s draw–who avoided La Liga leaders Real Sociedad, big spending RB Salzburg and significant travel distance with Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine and FK Krasnador of Russia among the potential opponents. As it stood, Steven Gerrard’s side couldn’t have organised a much closer trip from the options available.
The two-legged knock-out matches, to be played in February, come after an excellent group stage for the Ibrox side who topped a section including Benfica, Lech Poznan and Lie get obese ed ed for today’ s draw, and Antwerp will hold little fear and cautious optimism for an unbeaten side which has conceded only 12 times in 27 games this season.
Seven of those concessions came in the impressive group showing during which Rangers ended Standard’s six-year home run without defeat in European competition and Kemar Ro ofe’s wonder goal from the halfway line.
This is Antwerp’ s longest European participation since the Grand Old reached the Cup Winners’ Cup final against Parma in 1993. Rangers met SC Braga at this stage of the competition last season before running into the might of Bay er Lev erk us en in the round of 16. Both last season’s opponents are still involved in this season’s competition but first Antwerp, and veteran pair – 35-year- old Congolese striker Dieumerci Mbokani and Israeli playmaker Lior Refaelov are on the agenda for Steven Gerrard’s team.
The games fall on February 18 and the following week, some 64 days away. With Rangers topping the domestic league, the double-header comes 12 league games and potentially three cup games away too, so continental ambitions will certainly be shelved for the time being and the busy festive fixture schedule.
Other notable ties included a meeting between two of David Moyes’ former clubs – Spanish La Liga’s current leaders Real Sociedad facing Manchester United.
Arsenal have been paired with the runners-up in Rangers’ group – Benfica – and AC Milan will meet Red Star Belgrade.
Brendan Rodgers’ Le icester City were drawn to play against Slavia Prague, while Tottenham Hotspur will take on German club Wolfsberger.