Tough Champions League challenge for Hearts and Rangers

Since Glasgow City reached the quarter-finals in 2020, it has been the law of diminishing returns for Scottish teams in the Women's Champions League. Surprise champions Heart of Midlothian and runners-up Rangers are the latest to try to buck the downward trend when they play in second qualifying round mini-tournaments this week. In the past, it was winner takes all. Now, while whoever tops each group progresses to the third qualifying round, the runners-up also head into the Europa League third qualifying round, with third place still giving the reward of a second qualifying round spot. So how are the Scottish duo placed for the challenge? Crichton on European opportunity, home advantage & squad strength Hearts sign Locke on loan from Birmingham Rangers sign Chelsea winger Hendle on loan Will Hearts repeat Celtic win over Gintra? Hearts surprised many, including possibly themselves, by winning the Scottish Women's Premier League for the first time. Unlike the men's team, they came through a final-day climax victorious, but like their Premiership counterparts, they found themselves losing the head coach who took them there. Eva Olid had already decided to stand down, the Spaniard feeling she was not getting the financial support she deserved. Her replacement, Andy Thomson, who was assistant to title rivals Rangers, goes into the new season without any major additions to his squad. Defender Ebonie Locke has joined on a short-term loan from Birmingham City, but Northern Ireland midfielder Joely Andrews has left for city rivals Hibernian. Hearts' first European venture takes them to Denmark, where they first face a Gintra side who are veterans of these mini tournaments on Wednesday. Having won their domestic title every year since 2005, it is no surprise Gintra have faced Scottish opposition previously and two seasons ago lost 2-0 to Celtic in the final of the mini tournament they hosted in Lithuania. While Hearts have yet to start their domestic season, Gintra are 12 games into theirs and currently lead the 2026 Moteru A Lyga, winning their latest three. However, the Lithuanians have yet to qualify from one of these mini-tournaments and, after beating Romanians Farul Constanța in their semi-final last year, lost the final to Ukraine's Vorskla Poltava. Should Hearts overcome a squad of mainly Lithuanians, supplemented by three Brazilians, two Ukrainians, an American, a Canadian, a Finn and a Zambian, they will face either hosts HB Koge or Riga of Latvia in Saturday's final. Riga are also midway through their season and have already beaten two British sides in Champions League qualifying this season, easing aside Glentoran 4-1 in the first qualifying round mini-tournament semi-final before repeating the scoreline in the final against Wrexham. That is one stage better than last season, when they beat Flora of Estonia, again by 4-1, but then lost to Racing Union of Luxembourg. Domestically, they are on course for a third consecutive title, sitting three points behind RFS but with three games in hand and having recorded an amazing 22-0 thrashing of bottom side Rezekne in June. Amid a squad of mainly home grown talent, they feature Japanese defender Miyu Takahira, who was with Danish side Fortuna Hjorring as they beat Hibs at the same stage last season. Fortuna would finish third in their domestic league as Hearts' hosts Koge claimed the Danish title for a fourth time - adding the domestic cup. Having reached the group stage proper in 2021-22, Koge will probably be favourites to progress given a squad bolstered by American investment - and players. Forward Rikke Madsen, midfielder Mille Gejl and defender Simone Boye are also all seasoned Denmark internationals, Nadia Nadim had a spell with Manchester City, while fellow striker Kyra Carusa plays for Republic of Ireland. Will Rangers face Scotland's Rodgers in final? Rangers have had all summer to mull over their double blow of missing out on the league title then losing to city rivals Celtic in the Scottish Cup final. They also suffered a blow when, among several departures, emerging Scotland midfielder Mia McAulay left for Aston Villa, although international team-mate Kirsty Smith is one of seven replacements after the veteran full-back left Nottingham Forest. Head coach Leanne Crichton also on Tuesday officially appointed brother Colin as Thomson's replacement and they face a major test of their new partnership given the "league path" to the Champions League is usually harder given it is populated by clubs from higher-ranked countries. Rangers found that to their cost two years ago when suffering a 6-0 thrashing by Arsenal in their opening semi-final before being eased aside 3-0 by Atletico Madrid in the third-place play-off. However, they have home advantage this time and can look back to four years ago for some more positive vibes having beaten Ferencvaros 3-1 then PAOK 4-0 before losing 5-3 on aggregate to Benfica in the second round. Rangers this time open at Broadwood Stadium against Slavia Prague, who were a distant second to neighbours Sparta despite aiming for a fifth Czech title in a row. The three-time Champions League quarter-finalists have reached the group stage twice in the last four years but missed out on the latest two, beating Fomget of Turkey in their semi-final last season before crashing out 4-0 to Norway's Valerenga. Should they overcome a team containing six Czech internationals, four Slovak caps, one Slovenian and one Macedonian in their squad, Rangers will then have to face the winners of Ajax against Brondby. Netherlands striker Katja Snoeijs has just signed from Everton, while Nadine Noordam was previously with Brighton & Hove Albion, but fellow midfielder Sherida Spitse is the most famous face, the 36-year-old's 248 appearances making her the most-capped European player of all time. Ajax reached the quarter-finals in 2024, but in their last appearance two years ago they lost 1-0 to Fiorentina in their qualifying final. They will nevertheless start as slight favourites against 2015 semi-finalists Brondby, who also lost 1-0 to the Italians in the semi-final that same year and by the same scoreline to Celtic a year earlier. However, the Danes' mix of domestic and foreign internationals have been bolstered by the arrival of Scotland midfielder Amy Rodgers from Nottingham Forest and Denmark striker Amalie Thestrup from Charlton Athletic. Crichton, meanwhile, believes she has signed excitement, pace, energy, goals, robustness and quality, but will her Rangers side be playing in the final at Petershill Park or the third-place play-off at Broadwood come Saturday?