Advantage Red Star could in fact be advantage Rangers… | OneFootball

Red Star Belgrade will have a small advantage going into their last 16 tie with Rangers, in that like all other group winners of the UEL, they didn’t have to face a last 32 stage.

The competition was altered to give the winners a bye into the last 16, while the runners up played a play off against CL third-placed sides.

Hence Rangers facing mighty Dortmund, the hardest side we could have had, as opposed to a ‘last 32’ tie.

This means Red Star are technically two 90 minute matches better off than Rangers, and will be fresher when the two teams face each other in two weeks.

It probably isn’t a huge difference, and in fact Rangers could argue the advantage is ours, given we’re more tested and have overcome more, with flying colours, and the team is in better condition for a tough last 16 tie.

Either way, it’s certainly a difference between the sides, and it may or may not favour one or other of us.

We’ll see.