Europa League Draw: Rangers / Progrès Niederkorn v AEL Limassol / St Joseph's

[BrahimHemdani 1]

First and second rounds should be a formality with the bonus being it will be four good workouts to get the team up to full fitness for the real challenge the third round may be.

 

If we had been able to chose the opposition these teams would have been in the preferred candidates list.

.

 

Yes in terms of Luxembourg, BUT and it's a big BUT.....

 

It may have escaped your attention that Cypriot football has been on the up for many years and their clubs' performances have put them 5-10 places ahead of Scotland in the UEFA coefficient country rankings for the 6 years up to 2016 and just one place behind us last season.

 

Apollon Limassol qualified for the group stages of the EL two years running: in 2013/14 after defeating Nice 2-0 at home in the play-off round and 2014/15 after quite probably one of the most astonishing results ever, in Europe certainly in the qualifiers, beating Lokomotiv Moscow 4-1 in Moscow for a 5-2 aggregate.

 

Apollon Limassol is anything but a formality.

Edited June 19, 2017 by BrahimHemdani

[Walterbear 557]

.

 

Yes in terms of Luxembourg, BUT and it's a big BUT.....

 

It may have escaped your attention that Cypriot football has been on the up for many years and their clubs' performances have put them 5-10 places ahead of Scotland in the UEFA coefficient country rankings for the 6 years up to 2016 and just one place behind us last season.

 

Apollon Limassol qualified for the group stages of the EL two years running: in 2013/14 after defeating Nice 2-0 at home in the play-off round and 2014/15 after quite probably one of the most astonishing results ever, in Europe certainly in the qualifiers, beating Lokomotiv Moscow 4-1 in Moscow for a 5-2 aggregate.

 

Apollon Limassol is anything but a formality.

 

Completely agree. If we can't kill the tie at Ibrox it will be a very tense occasion over there. Heat, atmosphere, recent experience in Europe, disadvantage of second leg away, team gelling or not, plus they have a smattering of Brazilians so you would imagine have technical ability.

 

We will want a 50k crowd at Ibrox and our team playing at pace to get on top of them.

 

There were a lot easier ties than this.

[Uilleam 5,394]

Frankie mentioned earlier in the thread that Rangers struggled, some 20 years ago, against Anorthosis Famagusta.

I remember it well, and struggle we did. Qualified, mark you.

 

I do have to suggest that players from Mexico, Portugal, and Colombia will perhaps find adjustment to the heat, etc., somewhat easier than our players did then.

Edited June 19, 2017 by Uilleam

[boabie 230]

If we don't get through those first two rounds then questions should be asked about where we are heading.

Aye, a whole squad is being put together but..................

[BrahimHemdani 1]

Completely agree. If we can't kill the tie at Ibrox it will be a very tense occasion over there. Heat, atmosphere, recent experience in Europe, disadvantage of second leg away, team gelling or not, plus they have a smattering of Brazilians so you would imagine have technical ability.

 

We will want a 50k crowd at Ibrox and our team playing at pace to get on top of them.

 

There were a lot easier ties than this.

 

Frankie mentioned earlier in the thread that Rangers struggled, some 20 years ago, against Anorthosis Famagusta.

I remember it well, and struggle we did. Qualified, mark you.

 

I do have to suggest that players from Mexico, Portugal, and Colombia will perhaps find adjustment to the heat, etc., somewhat easier than our players did then.

 

It wasn't quite as long ago, I was there on 9 August 2005; actually we were well on top 2-0 but ran out of steam and ended up holding on for the 2-1 victory against Temur Ketsbaia's Anorthosis team that also boasted one Georgi Kinkladze.

 

Rangers: Waterreus, Pierre-Fanfan, Andrews, Rodriguez, Ball, Ricksen, Ferguson, Murray, Buffel (Lovenkrands 58), Novo (Burke 79), Prso (Thompson 74).

Subs Not Used: Klos, Malcolm, Alex Rae, McCormack.

 

Booked: Ball, Ricksen, Andrews.

 

Goals: Novo 64, Ricksen 71.

 

No question, heat will be a big factor; it's forecast 32/33C there in mid July.

 

By the way, the women are hot too; they get my vote as the most attractive of any European country I've visited on Rangers travels.

[Bearman 9]

British teams in Europa League first qualifying round

 

St Johnstone v Trakai (Lithuania)

 

Odd (Norway) v Ballymena United

 

Bala Town v Vaduz (Liechtenstein)

 

Connah's Quay Nomads v HJK Helsinki (Finland)

 

Rangers v Progrès Niederkorn (Luxembourg)

 

Crusaders v Liepāja (Latvia)

 

Lyngby (Denmark) v Bangor City

 

Haugesund (Norway) v Coleraine

 

Ties to be played 29 June and 6 July.

 

British teams in Europa League second qualifying round

 

Aberdeen v Ordabasy (Kazakhstan) or Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

 

IFK Norrkoping (Sweden) or Prishtina (Kosovo) v St Johnstone or Trakai (Lithuania)

 

Rangers or Progrès Niederkorn (Luxembourg) v AEL Limassol (Cyprus) or St Joseph's (Gibraltar)

 

Haugesund (Norway) or Coleraine v Lech Poznan (Poland) or Pelister (Macedonia)

 

Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) or Pyunik (Armenia) v Lyngby (Denmark) or Bangor City

 

Crusaders or Liepaja (Latvia) v Shakhtyor Soligorsk (Belarus) or Suduva (Lithuania)

 

Bala Town or Vaduz (Liechtenstein) v Odd (Norway) or Ballymena United

 

Dacia Chisinau (Moldova) or Shkendija (Macedonia) v Connah's Quay Nomads or HJK Helsinki (Finland)

[Whosthedado 1,479]

It wasn't quite as long ago, I was there on 9 August 2005; actually we were well on top 2-0 but ran out of steam and ended up holding on for the 2-1 victory against Temur Ketsbaia's Anorthosis team that also boasted one Georgi Kinkladze.

 

Rangers: Waterreus, Pierre-Fanfan, Andrews, Rodriguez, Ball, Ricksen, Ferguson, Murray, Buffel (Lovenkrands 58), Novo (Burke 79), Prso (Thompson 74).

Subs Not Used: Klos, Malcolm, Alex Rae, McCormack.

 

Booked: Ball, Ricksen, Andrews.

 

Goals: Novo 64, Ricksen 71.

 

No question, heat will be a big factor; it's forecast 32/33C there in mid July.

 

By the way, the women are hot too; they get my vote as the most attractive of any European country I've visited on Rangers travels.

 

The last line caught my attention the most BH

[pete 2,494]

The last line caught my attention the most BH

 

I had a Holiday in Luxembourg and the thing that stood out for me was the amount of languages they speak. Most speak French,German, Dutch and English.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

The last line caught my attention the most BH

 

I have a picture somewhere, I'll see if I can find it, naturally they were dawn by my animal magnetism

[BrahimHemdani 1]

I had a Holiday in Luxembourg and the thing that stood out for me was the amount of languages they speak. Most speak French,German, Dutch and English.

 

I knew you were the intellectual type, Pete.