By Alan Hutton

29th Sep, 2023 | 6:30am

Rangers expert drops resounding Europa League verdict - 'there's no doubt'

It is imperative that Rangers emerge from the group stage of the Europa League.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former Gers defender Alan Hutton insisted the pressure is already on the Scottish giants to progress to the next round of the competition.

Michael Beale’s side won their opening match of the competition last week with a 1-0 victory over Real Betis at Ibrox.

The Gers are no strangers to progressing in the competition having made it to the final in 2022 under Giovanni van Bronckhorst when they were narrowly lost out on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt.

In their run to the final, the Light Blues defeated teams like Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.

Rangers were drawn alongside Aris Limassol and Sparta Prague, as well as Betis and have two games away from home before returning to Ibrox to face Sparta on matchday four.

When asked if it is a must for Beale’s side to progress from the group stages, Hutton told Football Insider: “I think so.

“What they have done in this competition before, I know it was with a different manager and a different set of players but they should be used to playing in this competition and know exactly what it takes to go and compete within it.

“I think they can with the teams that they are up against but they are going to have to deal with the pressure that is going to be on them but I believe they can still do it.“

In other news, Kieran Maguire drops ‘incredible’ Rangers claim after source’s ‘£31m’ reveal.