Credit: Imago/BBC Sport

Chris Smith

Wed 13 August 2025 8:00, UK

Ex-Rangers striker Steven Thompson has made a damning prediction about his former club’s Champions League prospects.

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The Glasgow giants have made it all the way to the play-off round after beating Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen by 3-1 and 4-2 aggregate scorelines, respectively.

Now, only Belgian giants Club Brugge stand in their way of the league phase after they beat RB Salzburg 4-2 on aggregate.

However, Rangers didn’t exactly make it easy for themselves in the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

Having thrashed Plzen 3-0 at Ibrox a week earlier, Rangers were completely dominated in the Czech Republic, with their hosts outshooting them 27-9.

Russell Martin’s men fell to a 2-1 loss on the night, and although it was enough to see them through to the next round, it was another bump in a stuttering start to the season under the new manager.

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Rangers simply wouldn’t have made it through without the heroics of their goalkeeper Jack Butland, who made eight saves on the night, to the tune of 1.47 goals prevented.

According to Thompson, Rangers will not fare well in the league phase with this sort of performance as the benchmark, should they make it past Brugge.

“This team should have scored two or three more goals tonight,” Thompson told BBC Sport of Plzen, adding: “Rangers have not looked after the ball well at all.

“And, if Rangers do reach the Champions League and do the same, it will not go well for them.

“Defensively, they have given up chance after chance.”

Football Insider verdict

Martin has endured a tough start to life as Rangers manager (Credit: Imago)

Getting past Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen is not an achievement to be sniffed at for Rangers, given they each finished second in their respective domestic leagues last season.

However, Tuesday night’s performance was just the latest in a string of underwhelming performances since Martin took to the dugout.

Rangers have won just two of their six competitive matches under Martin so far, and while this was their first defeat (single match only), 1-1 draws against Motherwell and Dundee have been a dreadful way to start the Scottish Premiership season.

Celtic are already four points ahead as they look to overtake Rangers’ title haul for the first time since the 1920s, with the two arch-rivals heading into this campaign locked on 55 each.

And there are already corners of the Rangers support not taking kindly to how things have been going under their new manager.

To sack Martin already would be utterly ridiculous.
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