Celtic and Rangers handed home draws in Premier Sports Cup as St Mirren join them in last 16
Today's draw produced a repeat of last season's quarter-final, which Brendan Rodgers ' side won 5-2 on their way to lifting the trophy.
Rangers were also handed a home tie as League One side Alloa Athletic, surprise winners of Group C, were rewarded with a trip to Ibrox.
Alloa are the only third-tier side left in the competition after a 3-2 win at Airdrie on Saturday maintained their 100-per-cent record in the group phase.
There are four all-Premiership ties, with Kilmarnock at home to Dundee United, Livingston hosting Hibs and St Mirren entertaining Hearts.
The knockout stage introduces the five clubs who qualified for Europe and were spared participation in the groups. All five were seeded alongside Hearts, St Johnstone and Partick Thistle, the three best section winners.
The draw was held shortly after St Mirren rounded off the group phase with a 2-1 victory against Ayr United in Paisley. Despite that result, Ayr progressed as one of the three best group runners-up and can now look forward to an all-Championship tie against Partick, who eliminated Ross County by beating them 3-1 in Dingwall on Saturday.
The last 16 also paired St Johnstone with Motherwell and Morton with Aberdeen.
Ayr started the day top of Group D and would have gone through as a seeded team had they beaten St Mirren, but a poor first-half display proved costly for Scott Brown's side as Killian Phillips scored twice for the home team to take his tally to four in two games.
The midfielder's first goal came after 16 minutes, when goalkeeper David Mitchell failed to deal with his low shot and defender Nick McAllister could not prevent it crossing the line.
When Roland Idowu picked him out in the box, the Irishman cleverly guided his second home seven minutes before half-time.
Lifted by the introduction of Jude Bonnar, the midfielder on loan from Celtic, Ayr pulled one back through Kevin Holt. His header dipped under the bar after a corner by Dom Thomas.
Saints saw the game out to top the group on a day when Dunfermline were denied a place in the last 16 on goal difference. On a high-scoring weekend, St Johnstone thrashed 10-man Elgin City 8-0 and Livingston beat Kelty 6-0, while Dundee and Raith each scored five against Montrose and Inverness respectively.
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Scotsman
5 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Rangers facing unforeseen pressure in Athens as reward of success and cost of failure laid bare
Panathinaikos tie remains in balance but two-goal advantage puts onus on Rangers to qualify Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Rangers find themselves unexpectedly burdened by expectation on their travels to Athens this midweek. Manager Russell Martin had previously tried to temper optimism ahead of the first leg of this Champions League second qualifying round tie by insisting it wouldn't be 'season-defining', regardless of the scoreline. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Still in the early stages of a substantial squad refurbishment job, Martin had instead placed the emphasis on the longer term, giving plenty of indication that this work-in-progress he has inherited was not yet ready for a competitive challenge of this nature, even if it has been a while since Panathinaikos belonged among the upper echelons of the European elite. Rangers head coach Russell Martin during a training session ahead of the flight to Greece on Tuesday. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Had this unsettled Rangers side struggled at Ibrox in the first leg before collapsing in the red-hot furnace of the Olympic Stadium in the return to bow out of the Champions League at the first hurdle, frustration would likely have been fleeting. Rangers have not appeared in the group stage of the competition since 2022 and only the most impatient or blinkered of their supporters would have expected this current crop to have the wherewithal to make it through three demanding qualifying rounds to end that absence. An aggregate defeat to Panathinaikos would allow the Light Blues to drop back to their natural habitat of the Europa League qualifiers and give further ammunition to Martin in his ongoing quest to shake more funds out of the club's new ownership to improve the product on the pitch. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Instead, an exit at this juncture will now be considered far more ignominious than would have been the case when the draw was made. Rangers did toil in the first half of their opening competitive match of the campaign, having cause to thank goalkeeper Jack Butland for shutting out Panathinaikos when the concession of at least one goal looked almost inevitable given the steady flow of traffic towards the Rangers goal. Fortified by that show of resistance and the red card flashed to the visitors' Giorgos Vagiannidis, Rangers belatedly presented themselves as an attacking force and goals from Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassama delivered a two-goal victory that few would have predicted at the half-time recess. It has changed the dynamic of the tie and placed unforeseen pressure on Rangers to match their defensive fortitude – and good fortune – of the opening period at Ibrox if they are to withstand what will almost certainly be a full-scale Panathinaikos assault in stiflingly hot and uncomfortable conditions. From left: Mohamed Diomande, Nicolas Raskin, Cyriel Dessers and James Tavernier arrive for a Rangers training session on Tuesday. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Conceding three goals without reply will now be viewed as a capitulation rather than just a one-sided defeat and could also damage morale ahead of the start of the league season and a tricky-looking opener for Rangers away to Motherwell on Saturday evening. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This odyssey to Athens will also place Martin's tactical preference for a possession-based style further under the microscope. A commitment to playing out from the back can work well in a well-drilled team accustomed to playing in such a fashion against a high press but it proved problematic for this Rangers team, still evolving under new management, in the first half last week. Were it not for poor finishing and stellar goalkeeping, it would have proven to be a costly approach. Rangers can expect to find themselves retreating even more in this second leg as Panathinaikos look to rescue the situation and chase the three goals they really ought to have scored in Scotland. Will Martin stick to his guns or adapt to the demands of the occasion? It will be fascinating to find out. Winnable tie awaits Should Rangers survive the inevitable onslaught coming their way to make it through to the third qualifying round, then suddenly the prospect of advancing to the Champions League groups won't seem that unrealistic after all. Assuming Servette can avoid defeat at home to Viktoria Plzen after a narrow win in the Czech Republic in the first leg last week, then Rangers will find themselves with a winnable tie against the Swiss side they defeated at the same stage two years ago. Win that one and they are a play-off tie away from returning to European football's top table for the first time in three years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Even a loss in the third qualifying round will guarantee a berth in the Europa League group stage which ought to have been the realistic target from the very start. Danilo is likely to lead the Rangers attack again in Athens on Wednesday night. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group It says much about the fluid nature of Continental football in the modern era that the challenge that awaits Rangers should they lose to Panathinaikos looks tougher than what awaits them in the top-tier competition. Neither Besiktas nor Shakhtar Donetsk (who won 4-2 in Turkey last week) in the Europa League third qualifying round will be straightforward, with a defeat at that point dropping Rangers into the Conference League play-off round and a third attempt at trying to nail down group stage football in some shape or form. Avoiding a heavy defeat in Athens, then, seems the easiest way to fulfil that ambition and the expectation is that Martin will rely on many of the same players who eked out that victory at Ibrox a week ago. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Few of the squad's fringe players did enough in the friendly draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday to push themselves into contention, meaning Martin's selection dilemmas will centre on the fitness of individuals such as Hamza Igamane and Thelo Aasgaard who both missed training again on Tuesday morning due to injury.
Scottish Sun
5 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Mohamed Diomande opens up on his Rangers future amid transfer talk as he admits ‘Ibrox is not an easy place'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MOHAMED DIOMANDE has dismissed talk of a move away from Rangers this summer. The midfielder has been linked with Turkish side Besiktas as well as Everton and West Ham. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 4 Mohamed Diomande is a fan favourite at Rangers Credit: Willie Vass 4 Diomande celebrates last week's 2-0 win over Panathinaikos Credit: Getty But as he set his sights on helping Rangers reach the third qualifying round of the Champions League Diomande insisted: "I'm happy at Ibrox. 'I don't see much speculation or what is written. 'I'm a Rangers player so I'm really focused to give my best for this season. 'For me, it's a dream to play in these European games. 'Growing up, I always wanted to play in big competitions in Champions League and Europa League and now I have a chance to show myself. 'Also, there are people watching me back home and I'm just happy to play in this competition. 'I hope we can get the result we want and be in the next round. 'I've learned to be tough mentally. I know Ibrox is not an easy place. 'I've been here one year now and I think it's helped me to be tough mentally. 'Like I said, I'm just happy I'll be able to play a lot of football now and we'll be dominating a lot in the league.' New Rangers star Mohamed Diomande close to tears as he says goodbye to old team-mates over 40,000 fanatical fans are set to turn up the heat in the stands. Temperatures pushing 40 degrees at kick-off will ensure there's no respite on the pitch. But Rangers boss Russell Martin has vowed his players WILL keep their cool in the blazing Athens furnace. The Gers gaffer said: 'We had an extremely hot week in St George's, where the guys had to work really, really hard and cover a lot of distance. 'That will help prepare us, but it's the same for both teams. 'We have to manage the game in the best way possible, in our way, for us. 'And I think the players are ready for that.' A place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League is up for grabs in the Olympic Stadium. Panathinaikos - who had defender Giorgos Vaglannidis sent off in last week's first leg - are bidding to overturn a 2-0 deficit. 4 29.07.2025 Rangers MD-1 training: Russell Martin Credit: Willie Vass Boss Rui Vitoria is banking on the backing of a hostile home support to help the Greeks. But Martin insisted: 'They need to display courage, discipline, aggression in the right areas, intensity, all of it. 'And nothing will change. 'We can talk about the approach for this game, but it's not going to change. 'We have to be the team we want to always be. 'I think this football club demands that and we'll certainly demand that as a staff. 'Late on in the game and stuff like that, you have to manage it as well as you possibly can, depending on the situation. 'But the approach going into it has certainly not been any different. 'We have a lot of international players. 'I think we have to manage the game and take the crowd out of it as much as we possibly can by doing it in our way and trying to dominate in as many aspects as we can. 'I think I'm looking forward to the atmosphere. Rangers transfer special as Russell Martin eyes THREE wingers, Coady latest and Dowell future 'It'll be a really good experience for the guys, but we have a lot of guys that have played in big games, big occasions and for this football club. 'I'm really confident the guys can handle that.' Martin expects Panathinaikos to come flying out the traps in the Olympic Stadium. The Greeks need at least three goals on the night and they're praying the stifling conditions will play a part. Yet Martin believes his team are prepared for what lies ahead. He stressed: 'They did that last week as well. 'They didn't come to Ibrox trying to defend and get us on the counter-attack. 'They stuck to their game plan with the games that we watched previously. 'They weren't defensive in their mentality or approach or tactically at all. 'We have to bring our own game plan and try to instil that as much as we possibly can. 'The opportunities need to be ones that we create. 4 'I don't expect to be given any opportunities and I don't expect us to give them any. 'Both teams are going to have to work hard to try to create that, however that looks. 'Maybe it's on a regain, maybe a counter-attack, maybe set-piece. 'Maybe it's by being patient and waiting with the ball. 'So, we'll just have to wait and see. But the guys are, I think, really ready. 'We took a lot, so much learning from last Tuesday night. 'And I think we have to make sure we take that into tomorrow. 'For me it's the same situation we found ourselves in before the first game. 'It's a tough game against a good opponent that we have to be really ready for, and I think we'll be better than we were last week. 'We have to be, and it's down to these guys when they step out over the white line to make sure we stick to the work and the detail and really believe in what we're doing.' Martin hinted that he could start Djeidi Gassama - the man who came off the bench to score at Ibrox last week. The Gers boss admitted: 'He's ready to start. 'He had a big impact for us when he came on. 'You saw plenty of the reasons why we wanted to sign him. 'It's early, early days, but Gass is a player that really excites us and I think can make a big difference for us. 'And hopefully, he does the same again tomorrow night.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
5 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Mohamed Diomande has bullish Rangers response for Panathinaikos boss after ominous warning
The midfielder is living the dream in Europe with Rangers and is confident his team mates will deliver the goods in Athens They avoided combusting in a Piraeus powderkeg and kept their cool in a Fenerbahce fire pit. Now, a season on from passing those red hot tests in some of Europe's most volatile arenas, Mohamed Diomande is confident Rangers are ready to put out Panathinaikos' flame in Athens' Olympic Stadium. Diomande insists there's no fear heading into the Champions League qualifying crunch. Not after coming through last season's incendiary clashes with Olympiacos and Fenerbahce on their way to the Europa League quarter final. The midfielder excelled on both those occasions in a 1-1 draw against the side that would go on to become Greek champions and then a 3-1 win that dumped the Special One, Jose Mourinho, in the Turkish side's version of hell. So when Panathianaikos boss Rui Vitoria attempted to get into Rangers' heads by warning that no visiting team finds it easy against his side in Athens then Diomande wasn't buying it. He is confident his team mates have the icy characters required to handle whatever's thrown at them, maybe even literally, and to stick devoutly to the game plan. The Greeks might be lodging at the magnificent 70,000 stadium meaning their notorious 'Gate 13' ultras are off home territory - but Vitoria insists a 'hot atmosphere' still awaits. But asked if he was confident his team mates would cut through the mind games and produce another big result on foreign soil, Diomande said: 'Yes, we have prepared really well and we are ready to deliver on Wednesday night. 'There's a lot of players who have played in this situation before. "A lot of us are used to this kind of thing, also because we play week in and week out at Ibrox. 'So I don't think there's going to be any pressure on us. And I know our fans are going to be loud and that's going to push us to be ready for them as well. 'We just stick to our plans. That is what the coach taught us during the week. We are going to do as much as we can to stick to the plan and give our best." Diomande's first taste of Champions League qualifiers ended in heartache a year ago as Rangers were dumped out by Dynamo Kiev at the first hurdle after having to play their home tie at Hampden with Ibrox undergoing delayed renovations. But despite struggling to lift themselves back off the canvas for the domestic game, Rangers again thrived in the continental arena with big results against Nice, Olympiacos, Fenerbahce and eventual winners Tottenham. The Ivory Coast international admits he is living the dream running out in UEFA competition. But this time he wants an extended run in the continent's money-spinning premier cup competition. To guarantee the £40m league phase dream remains on course they must first ensure they don't throw away a two goal lead against pumped-up Pana who blew three glorious chances to take the lead at Ibrox last week. Diomande said: 'For me, it's a dream to play in these European games. 'Growing up, I always wanted to play in big competitions in Champions League and Europa League and now I have a chance to show myself. 'Also, there are people watching me back home and I'm just happy to play in this competition. I hope we can get the result we want and be in the next round.' Diomande is entering his second full season at Ibrox after turning an initial loan spell into a permanent move in a £4.5m deal from Nordsjaelland last summer. His tireless box-to-box performances have brought admiring glances from across the continent with Besiktas and Everton among those linked with moves. But the 23-year-old insists he is paying no attention to speculation and is interested only in continuing to improve as a player under the new management team. Diomande has been a first pick in the engine room so far this campaign. He started on the right of the midfield three in last week's first leg and is expected to play a similar role this evening. And asked about the interest from other clubs he said: 'I'm happy at Ibrox. I don't see much speculation or what is written. I'm a Rangers player so I'm really focused to give my best for this season. 'To be honest, I think it's been amazing under the new manager. 'I want to be on the ball a lot and I'm happy that he's bringing his ideas. I want to grow as a player and I'm happy that I get his help to reach my goals here. 'I've learned to be tough mentally. I know Ibrox is not an easy place. 'I've been here one year now and I think it's helped me to be tough mentally. Like I said, I'm just happy I'll be able to play a lot of football now and we'll be dominating a lot in the league.' After 18 months in Govan, Diomande is now one of the longest serving players in Martin's squad. He's added leadership on the park to his game. And off it he's trying to be a mentor to the raft of new signings arriving this summer. He said: 'I'm already trying to do that. There are some new players that speak French and I try to help them as much as I can. 'I really hope they can also shine under the new gaffer.'
