Rangers poised for Champions League spot - if they win title
Striker Alexander Jeremejeff scored twice against Olympiakos [Getty Images] Greg Taylor's PAOK handed Rangers a potential Champions League qualifying boost after beating Greek title rivals Olympiakos 3-1 on Sunday. The defeat leaves the reigning champions six points adrift of leaders AEK Athens with three games remaining. It means Rangers are now favourites to take the final available automatic qualifying place in next season's league stage of Europe's premier club competition - but only if they first win the Scottish title.
Danny Rohl's side, who visit leaders Hearts on Sunday, sit third, four points behind the Edinburgh side and reigning champions Celtic with four games of the Scottish Premiership left to play. The extra automatic place in the Champions League's league stage is a result of all four of this season's semi-finalists - Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid - having already qualified via their domestic leagues and ensuring the reigning champions do not have to qualify. That extra space goes to the next highest-placed side in the European club coefficient list, which Olympiakos lead ahead of Rangers and Shakhtar Donetsk, with Celtic and Hearts further down the rankings.
The Ukrainian league leaders are three points behind Rangers and could yet overtake the Ibrox side as they remain in the Conference League semi-finals. However, they trail Crystal Palace 3-0 after their first leg, with a victory earning two points for a victory, one for a draw and an additional 0. 5 for progressing to the next round.
Meanwhile, former Celtic left-back Taylor was an unused substitute for PAOK, who were beaten by OFI Crete in last week's Greek Cup final, as their victory took them above Olympiakos into second place on goal difference in Greece's title play-off stage. Former Hearts left-back James Penrice was a half-time substitute for AEK as they drew 0-0 away to fourth-placed Panathinaikos, who had defenderJavi Hernandez sent off after just 17 minutes.