How far can Rangers go in Europe? | OneFootball

This season has certainly been a strange one for Rangers, and there is definitely scope to improve as we enter the second half of the season, but is it possible that Phillipe Clement redirects his focus?

The title, frustratingly, seems to be heading to Celtic Park with a 14-point gap already in place, and whilst a complete write-off of the league will not happen, it could be possible that Clement looks to other competitions for success.

In the Europa League, the Gers have managed to get themselves into the alluded top eight positions, meaning they could automatically qualify for the final 16 if they have a positive final two games – something which would allow Clement to then also have a ‘nicer’ schedule too, which could help in the fight back in the league.

Even though they find themselves in a strong position, the bookies are not the most confident of their ability to win the whole competition, and punters can still get odds of 66/1 for Clement’s side to win the competition – perhaps a huge upset could be in store.

So, without further ado, let’s get into the situation.

The Final Eight

Across all European competitions, the format is the same – the top eight will automatically qualify for the last 16 stages of the competition, whereas teams from 9-16 will play a qualifier to get to the final 16, as UEFA state.

Rangers are joined by two teams on 11 points, and currently hold onto eighth place by way of goal difference (6), with Tottenham Hotspur (4) and FCSB (2) having a worse goal difference.

Looking above the Gers, Lazio and Athletic Club lead things on 16 points, which is almost an unreachable points total to get to. Belgian side Anderlecht then follow on 14, which is a decent bumper. Following this, two teams sit on 13 points, with Manchester United and Galatasaray sitting on 12.

Finishing within the top eight would be a huge achievement for Clement, who has received wavering superb from the fanbase this season, and considering the distance between his side and Celtic, the Europa League will hold a lot of importance.

With only two games to go in the competition, the club are in a good place to progress forward, but they must take the chance that they have earned themselves so far, but it certainly will not be a straightforward task by any means.

Remaining Games

The Gers will next travel to Manchester, where they will take on Manchester United at the end of January – luckily, they have been blessed with some nice fixtures on either side of the visit to the Red Devils – and this is certainly a difficult game to call.

Since Ruben Amorim’s appointment, United have been quite inconsistent and this has been proven since the Manchester derby. Four defeats in four games, with the Reds only scoring in one game tells a really poor tale.

For this reason, it is possible that Clement’s side could be able to capitalise on their misfortunes, and perhaps snatch a result. After all, they have already gotten a result against a struggling Tottenham Hotspur side in Europe, so seeing Rangers get a point against the Manchester outfit would not be too out of the question.

Then, the Bears have a game against Union Saint-Gilloise back at Ibrox on the 30th of January. Compared to the game against United, this should be an easier fixture, and Clement will look to finish the campaign well back at home.

The Belgian outfit are still in the European race in the Pro League, and in the Europa League, they are sitting within the play-off places. So the Gers picking up three points to round off things is certainly not an outrageous prediction.

According to Sky Sports, 15 points should be enough for sides to progress via the top eight in Europe under the new format, which is certainly an attainable amount for the Glaswegian outfit.

This would mean that the club would need to win and draw their next two games – in any order, so it is possible that Clement sets his side up for a draw at Old Trafford before trying to snatch three points back in Scotland on Matchday 8 of the competition.