Likely Rangers Champions League opponents emerge after 6-2 first leg victory
Trip to Poland beckons for Rangers as Serbians suffer heavy defeat
Rangers look set to face face Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League after the Ukrainian side hit six goals in their opening qualifier.
Kyiv came from behind to beat Partizan Belgrade 6-2 with the help of three goals in six minutes late in the first half in the first leg of their second qualifying round tie in Lublin, Poland. Dynamo netted twice late on to give Partizan a major uphill task in next week’s second leg in Serbia.
Belgrade took the lead through a 22nd minute penalty from Matheus Saldanha but three goals in quick succession from Mykola Shaparenko, Volodymr Brazhko and Oleksandr Karavaev turned the game in Kyiv’s favour before the break.
Vladyslav Kabaev added a fourth for the Ukrainians 10 minutes into the second half before Saldanha grabbed his and Belgrade’s second to reduce the deficit to two.
However, Denys Popov struck in the 83rd minute to put Kyiv 5-2 up before an injury-time effort from summer signing Oleksandr Pikhalyonok ensured they will travel to Serbia next week with a four-goal advantage and one foot in the next round.
The victory continued Kyiv’s impressive pre-season form which saw them keep four clean sheets in five games while scoring 11 – including four goals in an impressive 4-0 victory over Danish giants Brondby.
Rangers will launch their campaign in the away leg on August 6-7, which if Kyiv progress will be played at the Arena Lublin in Poland due to the war in Ukraine, with the return scheduled for August 13, which will be played at Hampden Park due to a delay in building works at Ibrox Stadium.
Philippe Clement’s side will need to negotiate two knock-out ties in order to reach the Champions League group stages, with the guaranteed safety net of a drop into the Europa League group stages should they be eliminated.
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