Rangers were looking to book a spot in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 knockouts as they hosted Union Saint-Gilloise on January 30, and they sealed the deal in a nervy 2-1 victory that got the job done.
Philippe Clement’s side currently trail Celtic by ten points in the Scottish Premiership title race with their Old Firm rivals already through to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 playoffs.
Clement, though, had work to do against the Belgian visitors to Ibrox on the final day of the league phase, as he aimed to guide Rangers into the lucrative knockout phase.
The Sporting News looks at the final qualification picture in the league phase with all eight matches now complete and the bracket nearly set.
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Have Rangers reached UEFA Europa League Round of 16?
Defeat away at Manchester United in the penultimate league phase match dented Rangers’ hopes of reaching the Round of 16 automatically with the playoffs looking more likely.
Yet goals from Nicolas Raskin and Vaclav Cerny helped them make a late move, and held off a late consolation for Union Saint-Gilloise to seal a vital three points. That saw Rangers snatch the final Round of 16 berth with an eighth-place finish thanks to goal differential over Bodo/Glimt, Anderlecht, and FCSB.
The top eight sides from the 36-team table reached the Round of 16 automatically, with teams placed 9th to 24th landing in the playoffs, and those 24th-36th eliminated from European competition outright.
Ahead of the Union game, Rangers had just a slim chance of making the top eight, needing a special combination of teams above them to drop points. Incredibly, they got the formula just right, and were able to finish in a coveted top-eight spot.
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Rangers will now learn their ultimate fate in the knockout draw, but they do have some insight towards their potential opponents in the Round of 16. As the lowest direct Round of 16 qualifier, they can be drawn against one of team Bodo/Glimt, Anderlecht, Twente, or FCSB emerging from the playoff round.
When is the Europa League knockout playoff draw?
The draw for the 2024/25 knockout-round playoffs takes place on Friday, January 31.
The ceremony will be held at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Although no time has yet been confirmed, the Europa League procedure is generally held after the Champions League version. That means the start time is likely to be around 1 p.m. CET (7 a.m. ET / 12 p.m. GMT / 5:30 p.m. IST / 11:00 p.m. AEDT).
When are the Europa League knockout playoffs?
The first legs of the playoffs take place on February 13, 2025, one day after the first legs of the Champions League knockout playoffs. The second legs are a week later, on February 20.
The draw to decide the Round of 16 ties, plus the bracket for the quarterfinals and semifinals, is held on February 21 following the conclusion of the Champions League draw.
Rangers vs. Union Saint-Gilloise live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Europa League match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
| Date | Time | TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | Thu, Jan. 30 | 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT | — | Paramount+ |
| Canada | Thu, Jan. 30 | 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT | — | DAZN |
| UK | Thu, Jan. 30 | 8 p.m. GMT | TNT Sports 3 | discovery+ |
| Australia | Fri, Jan. 31 | 7 a.m. ADST | — | Stan Sport |
| India | Fri, Jan. 31 | 1:30 a.m. IST | — | — |
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