Scotland's automatic path into the Champions League was handed a potential boost after the latest round of European fixtures last night.

Scotland sits just inside UEFA's top 10 when it comes to the governing body's coefficient ranking table. Retaining this place is imperative when securing automatic passage for the champions of Scotland into the Champions League.

In the wave of European ties before the last-16 round, the Czech Republic dealt Scotland's hopes for Rangers and Celtic a hammer blow. 

With three teams remaining across the Europa League and Europa Conference League, the Czechs caught up with Scotland by getting their coefficient score to 35.3, with Scotland's sitting at 35.85.

It was a terrible result for Scotland's coefficient, with the Czechs holding a distinct advantage in this situation because they have three teams remaining in European competition, while the Scots are solely reliant on Rangers to fly the flag.

So, of course, while Rangers' progression into the quarter-finals of this season's Europa League is vital to keeping tenth spot in the rankings, and not dropping down to 11th, it would be more beneficial for Scotland if all three Czech teams were to be eliminated as soon as possible.

After last night's last-16 first-leg encounters, from a Scottish perspective, thankfully that looks like a distinct possibility.

Rangers earned a 2-2 draw in Lisbon against Benfica and will take on the Portuguese giants at Ibrox next midweek. 

Both Sparta and Slavia Prague suffered heavy defeats at the hands of Liverpool and AC Milan respectively, 5-1 and 4-2. The former will play at Anfield next, with the latter welcoming the Serie A team to the Czech capital. 

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Into the Conference League and the only Czech team to come away with a positive result was Viktoria Plzen. Their first leg against Servette ended goalless in Switzerland, meaning they'll be confident of making home advantage count in the return leg. 

With Rangers earning 0.5 points in Lisbon, that means Scotland stay in front of the Czechs by 0.5.

So, in order for Scotland to cling on to its spot inside the top 10, Rangers need to overcome Benfica next week, with the hope that all three Czech teams exit European competition. 

If Scotland manages to keep tenth, their whoever wins the Premiership will remain in line to automatically qualify for the Champions League - and the £40m riches that come with that accolade. 

With the Czechs close behind in the coefficient table, this is obviously under threat. 

However, regardless of the outcome in the coefficient stakes, whoever wins Scotland's top flight this season, will still automatically enter the revamped Champions League next term, with any potential changes coming into play in the following campaign, which is the 2025/26 season.