Rangers facing trip to Scandinavia as Euro draws reveal likely clashes
Five Scottish clubs have discovered their next potential opponents across UEFA’S three flagship tournaments.
Last season’s Premiership winners Rangers will face Malmo or HJK Helsinki in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, while Celtic will play either PSV Eindhoven or Galatasaray, if they defeat Midtjylland in the second qualifying round.
St Johnstone face the losers of PSV Eindhoven or Galatasaray in the third qualifying round of the Europa League, while Hibs will take on Rijeka or Gzira United in the Conference League third qualifying round should they defeat Santa Coloma.
Aberdeen, who are in the same stage of the competition as Hibs, will play either Austria Vienna or Breidablik, should they overcome BK Hacken.
For Rangers, Swedish champions Malmo – who knocked the Ibrox side out of the tournament in 2011 – are favourites to progress past Finns HJK. Malmo are currently top of the Allsvenskan after 12 games, while HJK also top the Veikkausliiga after the same amount of the games.
Rangers are in the “champions path” and the first leg will be in either Sweden or Finland on August 3 or 4, with the return leg in Glasgow a week later.
For Celtic, who are in the “league path”, they will find either PSV or Galatasaray blocking their route to the Champions League playoffs should the Parkhead side overcome Midtjylland
in the next week or so. It is likely that PSV would be the reward. The Dutch club are the seeded team in their tie with Galatasaray and have a rich history as UEFA Cup winners in 1978 and European Cup conquerors in 1988. They reached the last 32 of the Europa League last season before exiting at the hands of Olympiakos 5-4 on aggregate. PSV were a distant second to Ajax in their domestic championship last season, finishing
16 points behind title winners Ajax and provided only two players – forward Cody Gakpo and Donyell Malen – for the 26-man Netherlands squad that competed in this summer’s Euros.
They too will not be looking beyond their second round Champions League qualifier against a Galatasaray side that lost out on the Turkish title to Besiktas on goal difference.
If Celtic lose against the Danes, they will drop into the
Europa League and take on FK Jablonec of Czech Republic in the third qualifying round – the same place that St Johnstone enter the tournament.
Despite being seeded, Callum Davidson's men have landed a mouthwatering yet daunting tie against PSV or Galatasaray, with the second leg due to be played at Mcdiarmid Park on August 15.
Aberdeen will be pleased to have avoided Greek giants PAOK, who were in their pot
of potential opponents, and while Swedes Hacken will provide a stern test on Thursday, the Dons will not be overawed by a potential tie against Austria Vienna or Icelandic outfit Breidablik.
Hibs will feel much the same, with Gent and Feyenoord potential opponents before the draw was made. Croatians Rijeka – who have faced Aberdeen twice in the competition – will be favourites to overcome Gzira of Malta.