Glasgow Rangers have received a Champions League boost from an unlikely source after Brondby won in Denmark on Thursday.
The Lowdown: Gers eye Champions League seed
Winning the Premiership means that the Gers will enter the Champions League third qualifying round as they aim to reach the group stages.
As it stands, Rangers are not yet sure what seeding they will have when they enter the competition.
The Latest: Brondby win huge for Gers
Should FC Copenhagen win the Danish Superliga, Rangers would not be a top seed and could face one of Slavia Prague, Olympiacos, Dinamo Zagreb, Young Boys or Red Star Belgrade (Daily Record), all sides who have competed in the group stages in recent seasons.
However, Brondby’s 2-1 win over Aarhus means they are three points clear of Copenhagen with one game left, with their goal difference nine better than that of their capital rivals (BBC).
The Verdict: Big boost
Brondby’s victory gives Rangers a far better chance of reaching the group stages. It would take a huge twist on the final day of the campaign for Copenhagen to prevail, meaning the Gers should secure top seed status. In turn, that should secure an easier tie in the third qualifying round of next season’s Champions League.
Having said that, the Gers cannot afford to get complacent. Any team they face will provide a tougher challenge than the teams they have met in the equivalent rounds of the Europa League in recent years, even if they got past Galatasaray a few months ago. The Gers must be at their best to achieve their goals and avoid another Niederkorn-esque upset.
In other news, many Rangers fans were livid at this article in The Times.