This will be the third time these two clubs have met in Athens, drawing 1-1 in the Champions League group stages in 2003, before an identical scoreline saw Rangers progress on away goals in the UEFA Cup en route to the final in 2008.
Overall, the Gers have never won any of their five previous visits to Greece, albeit four of those have ended all square. Aside from clashes with Rangers, Panathinaikos have won both previous home games against Scottish clubs 3-0, beating Aberdeen in 2007 and Motherwell three years later.
Panathinaikos vs Rangers preview
After an eventful first leg in Glasgow last Tuesday, Rangers are in the box-seat to progress, but the job is far from complete just yet. Eight nights ago at Ibrox, it was Panathinaikos who dominated the first half, with Jack Butland a key reason why it remained all square. Then, shortly after half time, teenager Findlay Curtis, making just his second senior start, burst forward and beat Bartłomiej Drągowski with a long-range strike, sparking wild scenes of celebrations.
Soon after, the Greek side were reduced to ten-men, Georgios Vagiannidis sent off for a second bookable offence, before substitute Djeidi Gassama came off the bench to score a sublime strike of his own, securing a 2-0 win, but will that lead prove insurmountable as the pair reconvene in Athens?
Rangers are aiming to get into the Champions League group stages for just the second time since 2010, having been defeated in qualifiers by PSV Eindhoven and Dynamo Kyiv since their most-recent appearance in 2022. Last week's first leg was the start of the Russell Martin era in Govan, taking over after a disastrous campaign, finishing trophyless and 17 points adrift Premiership champions Celtic, albeit the Light Blues still managed to reach the Europa League quarter-finals. Thus, the Gers have certainly saved their best for European nights in recent years, so can they get the job done here?
Panathinaikos, similarly, are seeking to end their 15-year exile from the Champions League proper, defeated in qualifiers by Odense, Málaga, Standard Liège, Club Brugge and Braga during that period. In fact, the 20-times champions of Greece have not won the title since 2010, very much hampering their European aspirations, albeit they did got to last season's Conference League round of 16, before being edged out 5-4 on aggregate by Fiorentina. Defeat in Glasgow does leave Rui Vitória's side with an uphill task but, backed by over 70,000 supporters at the humungous Spyros Louis Athens Olympic Stadium on Wednesday, Panathinaikos believe a comeback is certainly possible.
The winners of this tie will seemingly take on Servette in the Champions League third qualifying round, after they beat Viktoria Plzeň 1-0 in Czechia in that first leg. The losers will drop into the Europa League third qualifying round, with Shakhtar Donetsk their likely opponents, after they surprisingly beat Beşiktaş 4-2 in İstanbul on Thursday. That aside, both are simply seeking to keep their Champions League dream alive, so will Rangers make their first leg advantage count in Athens?
Panathinaikos vs Rangers head-to-head record
- Matches Played: 5.
- Panathinaikos Wins: 1. Draws: 3. Rangers Wins: 1.
Panathinaikos team news
Right-back Georgios Vagiannidis is suspended, following his red card at Ibrox, but Filip Mladenović can return, having served a ban last mid-week for a red card picked up against Fiorentina in March.
Despite defeat, Rui Vitória isn't expected to change too much, with club captain Fotis Ioannidis leading the line, chosen over Alexander Jeremejeff and Karol Świderski.
Panathinaikos predicted lineup vs Rangers: (4-3-3): Drągowski; Kotsiras, Palmer-Brown, Touba, Kyriakopoulos; Chirivella, Maksimović, Bakasetas; Pellistri, Ioannidis, Đuričić.
Panathinaikos player to watch vs Rangers
Much of Panathinaikos' threat comes from their wingers Filip Đuričić and Facundo Pellistri. The latter, formerly of Manchester United, scored against both Lens and Chelsea in Athens in the Conference League last season, so does the Uruguayan have a big goal up his sleeve in the Champions League?
Rangers team news
Russell Martin made wholesale changes for Saturday's friendly draw with Middlesbrough, thereby likely to, largely, revert to last Tuesday's starting lineup. New recruits Max Aarons, Nasser Djiga and Joe Rothwell all debuted from the start in the first leg, while Djeidi Gassama did so off the bench, scoring the, potentially, all-important second goal.
Fellow new signings Emmanuel Fernandez and Lyall Cameron were unused substitutes, while Thelo Aasgaard is not deemed fit enough to feature just yet. Jack Butland was back in goal while, having opened the scoring in Govan, will 19 year old Findlay Curtis once again start on the left wing?
Lastly, in attack, both Hamza Igamane and Cyriel Dessers came off the bench for the final 15 minutes eight nights ago, having been strongly linked with moves away this summer, but will either come into the XI this time, or will Danilo continue to spearhead the forward line?
Rangers predicted lineup vs Panathinaikos: (4-2-3-1): Butland; Tavernier, Djiga, Souttar, Aarons; Rothwell, Raskin, Diomandé, Dowell, Gassama; Dessers.
Rangers player to watch vs Panathinaikos
The strongest part of Rangers' team is their midfield, with Mohamed Diomandé and Nicolas Raskin two of their better players throughout last season, and both will play a key role if the Light Blues are going to weather the storm and progress in Athens.
Panathinaikos vs Rangers prediction
We're forecasting a very long night for Rangers, with Panathinaikos likely to come out of the blocks at full throttle, needing to score goals and fast, but we are backing Russell Martin's team to progress, albeit only just, potentially doing so while being beaten on the night: Panathinaikos 2-1 Rangers.
Panathinaikos vs Rangers FAQs - UEFA Champions League qualifier
How to watch Panathinaikos vs Rangers Champions League game on TV channel?
Panathinaikos vs Rangers Champions League game will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: BBC Scotland
- USA: Rangers TV.
- Canada: Rangers TV.
How to watch Panathinaikos vs Rangers Champions League game on live streaming?
Panathinaikos vs Rangers Champions League game will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: BBC iPlayer
- USA: Rangers TV.
- Canada: Rangers TV.
What is the date and kick-off time for Panathinaikos vs Rangers in the Champions League?
Panathinaikos vs Rangers takes place on Wednesday 30 July 2025, with kick off at 19:00 (BST), 14:00 (EDT) & 11:00 (PDT).