Rangers could face PSV again in Champions League play-off

By Sports Desk August 07, 2023

Rangers will face PSV Eindhoven or Sturm Graz if they progress to the Champions League play-offs.

The Ibrox side were seeded in the draw but must first get past Swiss side Servette, who visit Ibrox on Wednesday in the first leg of the third qualifying round.

The Gers beat PSV 3-2 on aggregate at the same stage last year to reach the group stage, with Antonio Colak grabbing the winner when he netted the only goal of the second leg in the Netherlands.

Sturm Graz have included former Motherwell wing-back Max Johnston in their European squad, although he has only featured for the second team since his recent move.

Rangers would be at home in the first leg of the play-offs, which take place in the final two weeks of August.

Rangers will also be involved in the draw for the Europa League play-offs, which they will drop into if they lose to Servette.

Aberdeen are also in the draw and their 15 potential opponents including Swiss side Lugano and teams who are in third-round action over the next two weeks.

Aston Villa enter the Europa Conference League qualifying stage and they could potentially be drawn against Hibernian, the previous club of captain John McGinn.

Villa will be one of the four seeded options in the same section of the draw as Hibs, who first need to beat Swiss side Luzern. Villa could potentially face the likes of Lech Poznan or Arouca of Portugal, but they will not find out their definite opponents until after the third round.

Hibs could also be in line to face the likes of AZ Alkmaar, Slavia Prague and Olympiacos.

Hearts might have a reunion with last season’s runners-up, Fiorentina, if they get past Rosenborg.

The Italians, who beat Hearts home and away in the group stage last year, are the only seeded side in the grouping who join in the play-off round. Other names in the frame for Hearts include Club Brugge and Partizan Belgrade.

Derry City are also in the draw but must get past Tobol Kostanay of Kazakhstan first.

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    It is another blow for Leverkusen, who have managed 17 points from 10 games so far this season, the worst start to a league campaign in 12 years by a defending champion.

    Only Omar Marmoush and Harry Kane (both 11) have scored more goals in the league than Boniface this term (six). 

    Alonso revealed that the 23-year-old will miss Saturday's Bundesliga encounter against Heidenheim and their Champions League tie against RB Salzburg next week. 

    "We will have to see how long he will be out. It is a shame," Alonso told a press conference.

    "He has a thigh injury. For tomorrow, for Salzburg and maybe a bit longer. We will have to wait and see.

    "It is too early to say but we hope he can still play this year. We have to see with the recovery and improvement but it is not a matter of six or eight weeks."

    Leverkusen have dropped points in six Bundesliga games already this season (D5, L1), as often as they did during the entirety of their 2023-24 title-winning campaign (D6).

    They come into this weekend's fixture against Heidenheim on a three-game winless run in the Bundesliga (D3), the first time they have gone this long without a victory since between April and May 2023 (five games). 

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    Alonso's side have eight games in just under a month, including a DFB-Pokal round of 16 clash with Bayern at the start of December. 

    "Eight games in four weeks. It is nothing new for us," Alonso said. "An intense phase is coming up for us and it starts tomorrow.

    "We have clear goals for the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the German Cup."

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