Rangers host Genk in Europa League opener after turbulent start

Rangers will attempt to steady a turbulent start to the season when they welcome Belgian side Genk to Ibrox on Thursday evening, kick off 8pm, for the opening match of their 2025-26 Europa League group stage campaign. The Scottish club arrives dampened by a 9-1 aggregate exit from Champions League qualifying and a poor domestic run that has left manager Russell Martin under intense scrutiny. Genk earned their place in the competition after beating Lech Poznan 6-3 on aggregate but also arrive with inconsistent league form.

Rangers secured a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup quarterfinals at the weekend, with goals from Nico Raskin and Bojan Miovski ending a five-match winless run. That victory will give Martin something to build on as he searches for his first back-to-back wins in charge. The Ibrox crowd and home advantage are widely expected to be factors, with the match shown live on TNT Sports 2 and streamed via the discovery app.

The two clubs reached the Europa League through contrasting routes. Rangers dropped into the competition after the heavy defeat by Club Brugge, while Genk progressed through the playoff round against Poznan. Both...