What Celtic, Rangers & St Johnstone can expect following Euro draws
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There’s little rest for three of the Ladbrokes SPFL’s top sides this summer, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s because European action awaits for Celtic, Rangers and St Johnstone in the coming weeks.
So, who has the draw thrown up for this trio?
For the Hoops, it’s going to be either Sammarinese side La Fiorita, or NIFL Premiership winners Linfield – currently managed by ex-Rangers striker David Healy.
In truth, it’s likely to be the Belfast-based outfit who make it through, with La Fiorita having lost all 10 of their prior European games.
The Windsor Park club are probably the strongest team involved in the First Round of UCL qualifying. However, they’re unlikely to cause too many problems for a side who took points from Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach in this tournament last year.
Meanwhile, in the Europa League, both the Saints and Gers have drawn modest opposition, though it’s Pedro Caixinha’s men who have the more generous of the ties.
Their opponents – Luxembourg’s Progres Niederkorn – were knocked out at this stage last season by Shamrock Rovers, with the Irish side chalking up a comfortable 3-0 aggregate win.
And with Caixinha having guided Portuguese side Estoril to the UEL Group Stage on two occasions, he knows what it takes to succeed in this competition.
As for Tommy Wright and co, they head to face FK Trakai of Lithuania, who will be playing European football for the third successive year – though they’re yet to make it past the Second Round of qualifying.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
