Rangers v Club Brugge: Champions League play-off dates and Belgian opponents profiled ahead of £25m showdown

Russell Martin's side have already climbed two major hurdles in their bid to reach the league phase of UEFA's elite club competition by overcoming Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen in the previous qualifying rounds.

Now they will come up against Belgian opposition in the shape of a Club Brugge side who will likely provide the toughest challenge yet for the Ibrox club as they look to secure a £25million windfall.

Brugge only required one victory to make it to the Champions League play-off stage, entering in the third qualifying round, where they inflicted a 4-2 aggregate defeat on Red Bull Salzburg of Austria.

The fixture will mark a quick return to Glasgow for Brugge who travelled to Ibrox for a pre-season friendly last month which ended in a 2-2 draw, with the Light Blues recovering from the loss of two early goals.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the match:

When is Rangers v Club Brugge?

The Champions League play-off round first leg between Rangers and Club Brugge takes place at Ibrox Stadium on Tuesday, August 19, kick-off 8pm. The second leg will take place at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges on Wednesday, August 27, kick-off 8pm.

Who is the Club Brugge manager?

Brugge are managed by Belgian head coach Nicky Hayen. They are the ninth club of the 44-year-old's managerial career. He has managed exclusively in his homeland apart from a short stint in charge of Welsh Premier League side Haverfordwest County in season 2021-2022. He returned to Belgium to become head coach of Brugge Under-23s, before being appointed caretaker manager of the first team in March 2024 following the dismissal of Ronny Deila. Hayen turned Brugge's fortunes around, winning the Belgian championship in his first season to earn a permanent deal as head coach.

How did Club Brugge fare last season?

Brugge missed out on a second successive league title under Hayen last term, finishing runners-up behind Union Saint-Gilloise. They did, however, win the Belgian Cup with a 2-1 victory over Anderlecht in the final.

They also reached the last 16 of the Champions League after finishing in the last qualifying place (24th) in the league phase with 11 points from eight fixtures. They claimed wins over Sturm Graz, Aston Villa and Sporting CP and held Celtic to a 1-1 draw at Parkhead as well as claiming a point from Juventus on home soil. They secured a 5-2 aggregate win over Atalanta in the knockout play-off round before being eliminated by Aston Villa 6-1 on aggregate in the last 16.

How have Brugge started the current season?

Brugge have already won their first silverware of the campaign having lifted the Belgian Super Cup, a match played annually in pre-season between the league champions and Belgian Cup winners, with a 2-1 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise. They are three matches into their 2025-26 league campaign and sit sixth in the standings having collected six points with two home victories over Genk and Cercle Brugge either side of an away defeat to Mechelen. They also emerged with a 4-2 aggregate victory from their Champions League third qualifying round tie against RB Salzburg, winning the away leg 1-0 and the home leg 3-2.

Have Rangers and Club Brugge met before?

This will be the first competitive meeting between the two clubs since the 1992-93 European Cup campaign. Rangers claimed a 1-1 draw in Belgium thanks to a Pieter Huistra equaliser while Rangers won the return fixture at Ibrox 2-1 thanks to goals from Ian Durrant and Scott Nisbet despite a first-half red card to Mark Hatelely.

The most recent meeting between the sides took place only last month - July 6 - when they battled out a 2-2 draw at Ibrox in a pre-season friendly. Rangers struggled early on and were two goals down inside 13 minutes but a superb strike from Mohamed Diomande early in the second half gave them a foothold before Findlay Curtis levelled in the 89th minute.

Who are Club Brugge star players?

Veteran goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is a recognisable figure from his spell in England with Sunderland and Liverpool. Belgian international Hans Vanaken is a major goal threat from midfield while Greece striker Christos Tzolis was top scorer last season with 21 goals. Portugal Under-21 international winger Carlos Forbs is also one to watch after completing a €6million summer move from Ajax while big things are expected of defensive midfielder Aleksandar Stanković - the son of Serbia legend Dejan Stanković - following his €10m arrival from Inter Milan. The defence will be marshalled by 32-year-old club stalwart Brandon Mechele, who is entering his 14th season with Brugge, while Ecuador centre-back Joel Ordóñez, the 21-year-old rising star, has been linked with Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham.

How does Rangers squad value compare to Club Brugge?

According to transfemarkt.com, the Brugge squad has a market value of €170.40m with Ecuador centre-back Joel Ordóñez rated highest at €28m. Rangers squad is valued at €118.50m with on-loan Tottenham winger Mikey Moore rated highest at €18m followed by Nicolas Raskin at €10m.