The European dreams of Rangers, Hibernian and Dundee United took a clearer shape on Wednesday, as all three Scottish clubs discovered their respective opponents in the qualifying rounds.

The Champions League journey for Rangers begins in the second qualifying round, where they’ll face Greek giants Panathinaikos. All eyes will be on Russell Martin as he makes his competitive debut as head coach. The first leg is set for Ibrox on July 22nd, with the return fixture in Athens a week later.

Panathinaikos mirrored Rangers’ domestic performance last season, securing a second-place finish. Their recent European adventures saw them participate in the UEFA Conference League, where they finished 13th in the group stage before a pulsating Round of 16 clash that saw them narrowly lose 5-4 on aggregate to Fiorentina.

For the Ibrox faithful, this encounter with Panathinaikos may stir fond memories. Their last meeting, in the 2008 UEFA Cup, saw Nacho Novo net an 81st minute equaliser to send Rangers through on away goals. This tie was pivotal in Rangers’ memorable run to the 2008 UEFA Cup final, ultimately ending in a 2-0 defeat to Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester.

Hibernian’s European journey begins in the Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round, a consequence of Aberdeen’s Scottish Cup glory. They face a challenging draw against Danish club FC Midtjylland.

FC Midtjylland narrowly missed out on their domestic title, finishing one point adrift of champions FC Copenhagen. Their prior visits to Scotland have yielded mixed results: a 7-3 aggregate defeat to Rangers in the Europa League qualifiers and a 3-2 aggregate victory over Celtic in the Champions League qualifiers. The first leg is scheduled for July 24th in Denmark, with the decisive second leg taking place in Leith on July 31st.

Following an impressive fourth-place finish on their return to the Scottish Premiership, Dundee United face FC UNA Strassen in the 2nd qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.

Tannadice will host the first leg on July 24th, marking the Arabs’ first continental outing since their memorable (albeit forgettable) 7-1 aggregate defeat to AZ Alkmaar in 2022. Manager Jim Goodwin and his squad will be determined to deliver a much more commanding performance against their visitors from Luxembourg.