The Europa League Draw has finally been announced, and the excitement is palpable among football fans across the globe. The highly anticipated draw has revealed the teams that will be competing in the league phase of the Europa League, and it’s going to be a thrilling ride. Rangers, the Scottish Premiership runners-up, will be facing off against some of the biggest teams in the league, including Manchester United and Tottenham. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the teams that Rangers will be facing, as well as the new format of the Europa League.
Europa League Draw: Rangers’ Opponents Revealed
Rangers will be playing against some of the toughest teams in the league, including Manchester United and Tottenham. The Ibrox side, who were knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers by Dynamo Kyiv, will also be facing off against French side Lyon, Union Saint-Gilloise from Belgium, and Romania’s Steaua Bucharest in Glasgow. Rangers’ other away fixtures include matches against Swedes Malmo, France’s Nice, and Greeks Olympiacos.
The fixture dates will be announced on Saturday, but we do know that matchday one will be played across 25 and 26 September, with matchdays two and three on 3 and 24 October, respectively. Further games will follow on 7 and 28 November and 12 December, before the final two matchdays on 23 and 30 January.
Rangers have a history of competing against some of these teams, having beaten USG over two legs in the 2022 Champions League qualifiers. However, they were eliminated by Malmo at the same stage in 2021. Lyon also won at Ibrox in a 2021 Europa League group game, before the sides drew in France later in that campaign.
The New Format of the Europa League
The Europa League has undergone a significant format change, with all 36 teams competing in one league phase. This means that teams will be playing more matches against each other, with a minimum of eight matches instead of six. The league phase will also run until the end of January, instead of ending before Christmas.
The top eight teams will qualify automatically for the last 16, while those who place ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them. From the last 16 onwards, the Europa League will continue to follow its existing format.
This new format is designed to create more exciting matches between the biggest teams, and it’s sure to be a thrilling ride for football fans. With more matches and a longer league phase, teams will have to be at the top of their game to make it to the knockout stages.
Europa League Draw: What It Means for Rangers
For Rangers, the Europa League draw is a chance to prove themselves against some of the best teams in the league. With a tough schedule ahead of them, they’ll need to be at their best to make it to the knockout stages. However, with a strong squad and a determined manager in Philippe Clement, they have a good chance of making it to the last 16.
Rangers’ fans will be eagerly anticipating the start of the league phase, and with the fixture dates announced on Saturday, they’ll be able to plan their schedules accordingly. With the team facing off against some of the biggest teams in the league, it’s sure to be an exciting ride for fans.
Europa League Draw: Key Dates
Here are the key dates for the Europa League draw:
- Matchday one: 25-26 September
- Matchday two: 3 October
- Matchday three: 24 October
- Matchday four: 7 November
- Matchday five: 28 November
- Matchday six: 12 December
- Matchday seven: 23 January
- Matchday eight: 30 January
Hearts’ Hopes Dashed in Conference League Draw
Hearts, who finished third in the Scottish Premiership last season, will be competing in the Conference League. However, their hopes of making it to the knockout stages were dashed when they lost 2-0 on aggregate to Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League play-off round.
Hearts will be in the fourth pot of seeds in the Conference League draw, which takes place later on Friday. The Conference League will also feature a new format, with 36 teams competing in one league phase. However, teams in the third-tier competition will play six games, with the matchdays announced on Saturday.
The top eight teams will progress directly to the round of 16, while the next 16 teams will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them. The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated.
Hearts’ fans will be disappointed by the team’s performance in the Europa League play-off round, but they’ll be hoping that the team can bounce back in the Conference League. With a tough schedule ahead of them, they’ll need to be at their best to make it to the knockout stages.
Overall, the Europa League draw has revealed some exciting matches for football fans to look forward to. With a new format and more matches between the biggest teams, it’s sure to be a thrilling ride. Rangers and Hearts will both be facing tough challenges, but they have the talent and determination to make it to the knockout stages.