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Rangers Face Hostile Athens Test to Protect Champions League Lead

Panathinaikos will attempt to overturn a 2-0 deficit without their suspended left-back under Athens’s 35°C temperatures.

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Overview

  • Rangers travel to the Athens Olympic Stadium on July 30 with a 2-0 first-leg advantage and aim to secure progression to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.
  • Head coach Russell Martin said his side must control possession and minimize the impact of a 40,000-strong partisan crowd.
  • Panathinaikos will be without full-back Giorgos Vagiannidis due to suspension and could be further weakened if midfielder Anastasios Bakasetas is ruled out by injury.
  • Pitch-side temperatures of around 35°C are expected to test player fitness and concentration in a decider that carries European competition implications.
  • The aggregate winner advances in Champions League qualifying while the loser drops into the third qualifying round of the Europa League.