The main draw of the Champions League is far away for Rangers FC. The team of coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst lost the first match of Union Sint-Gillis from Belgium in the third preliminary round on Tuesday: 2-0.
The return in Scotland is next week. The winner will meet PSV or AS Monaco in the play-offs, in which a ticket for the group stage can be earned. Monaco against PSV ended in a draw (1-1) in France on Tuesday.
Union, last season’s number two in Belgium, took the lead after half an hour of play through captain Teddy Teuma. Dante Vanzeir doubled the lead by using a penalty fifteen minutes before the end.
Bart Nieuwkoop, former player of Feyenoord and Willem II, played the entire game at Union. Oussama El Azzouzi, who was taken over from FC Emmen last weekend, remained on the reserve bench.
Van Bronckhorst reached the final of the Europa League with the Rangers last season. Eintracht Frankfurt was too strong after penalties.
Ludogorets goalkeeper Sergio Padt scored an own goal against Dinamo Zagreb.
Ludogorets goalkeeper Sergio Padt scored an own goal against Dinamo Zagreb. Photo: Getty Images
Padt leads in defeat with own goal
In the preliminary round between Ludogorets and Dinamo Zagreb (1-2) Sergio Padt claimed a leading role in a negative sense. The goalkeeper of the Bulgarian home club unfortunately got the ball against his shoe in the ninth minute and worked a cross into his own goal. He made it 0-2.
The match between Sheriff Tiraspol and Viktoria Plzen ended in 1-2. Kay Tejan, who was an attacker for TOP Oss last season, played the entire match for the Moldovans. Benfica-FC Midtjylland resulted in a 4-1 win for the home team. It was the first official game of former PSV coach Roger Schmidt.