Tomorrow night, Philippe Clement’s team will strive for victory against Lyon to secure six points out of six in the new league phase format of the European competition.
Instead of the traditional group stage, clubs will now play eight matches against two clubs from each of the four seeding groups. This change has altered the structure of the competition significantly.
Rangers kicked off their campaign against Malmo and are set to face Lyon at Ibrox next. Following these matches, they will play against FCSB, Olympiacos, Nice, Tottenham, Manchester United, and Union Saint-Gilloise.
The outcome of the league phase will determine the 24 clubs that will advance to the later stages of the competition, with the remaining 12 clubs exiting the tournament. Notably, the top eight clubs from the league phase will skip the play-off round and directly advance to the round of 16.
Ideally, Rangers aim to secure a top eight finish to avoid the play-off round. However, an important rule in the new format may come into play if Rangers finish between ninth and 24th.
According to Article 19 of the UEFA Europa League regulations, clubs will be drawn in pairs for the play-off round based on their league phase positions. This means that clubs finishing ninth and 10th will face clubs ranked 23rd or 24th, and so on.
A higher league phase finish could lead to a more favorable draw in the play-off round. Additionally, Article 19.02 (c) states that seeded clubs (9th to 16th) will play their return leg matches at home in the play-off round, providing an advantage to those teams.
Rangers have a strong record at Ibrox in the Europa League, and the prospect of a guaranteed home match in the play-off round could work in their favor.
Scotland’s Coefficient suggests that accumulating nine or 10 points should be sufficient to secure a spot in the top 24 of the league phase. However, achieving between 14 and 16 points may be necessary to secure a top eight finish and bypass the play-off round.
As Rangers continue their Europa League journey, upcoming fixtures include matches against FCSB, Olympiacos, Nice, Tottenham, Manchester United, and Union Saint-Gilloise. The team will look to capitalize on their home advantage and secure valuable points in the league phase.
Overall, the revamped league phase format presents new challenges and opportunities for Rangers as they navigate their Europa League campaign and strive for success in the competition.