Rangers have been handed a huge Euro boost after victory for Brondby put them on the brink of the Danish title - and will almost certainly see the Ibrox side seeded for their Champions League third round qualifier.
Steven Gerrard is preparing to lead the Light Blues into the continent’s premier competition for the first time in a decade following their Scottish Premiership romp and there is real excitement among the fans at being back in with the big boys.
And, on paper at least, their first hurdle is set to get a little easier thanks to events after Record Sport Online told on Thursday how events in Scandinavia would have a huge impact on Rangers.
Anything other than FC Copenhagen winning the Danish Superliga would see the Scottish champions seeded for the third round qualifying draw on July 19 and so all eyes were on Brondby’s match last night as the league comes to a thrilling climax.
Rangers were hoping Brondby could win away to AGF and they duly obliged but it was a dramatic night as they conceded two penalties and were reduced to 10 men late in the first half but Mikael Uhre’s double earned a 2-1 triumph in Aarhus.
That moved them a point clear of Midtjylland and, more crucially, three ahead of Copenhagen and nine goals better off.
With just one round of fixtures of left, Brondby just have to beat FC Nordsjaelland on Monday night and they will secured their first title since Michael Laudrup was in charge in 2005.
Copenhagen, whose superior coefficient of 43.500 would see them usurp Rangers and take seeded status for the third qualifying round, travel to Randers for their final fixture but it would take a miracle for them to overhaul the two teams above them.
It’s a big boost for the Ibrox giants as they will avoid the likes of Slavia Prague who eliminated them from the last-16 of the Europa League, Dinamo Zagreb, Olympiakos, Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade.
