How Rangers can outmanoeuvre Celtic with flawless Eindhoven blueprint

“I said before after you play a team I have a better feeling about them and about the players we face,” the Dutchman commented amid a hectic run of two-legged European fixtures and crunch domestic matches last term.

The proof was in the pudding against one particular opponent. After succumbing to a dismal 3-0 defeat to Celtic on his Old Firm debut as Rangers boss in February, the Light Blues improved across the subsequent three meetings with Ange Postecoglou’s side before the end of the season.

The Ibrox side were pulled apart by the Hoops’ wide rotations in the 3-0 defeat at Parkhead. Van Bronckhorst’s man-orientated defensive set-up was still in its infancy and, coupled with the blow of conceding an early goal, Rangers’ bold off-the-ball approach capitulated inside the opening 45 minutes.

In possession, Rangers never had the structure to play through Celtic’s aggressive pressure. Allan McGregor lacked the minerals to act as the spare man when building out of defence, forcing Rangers to go consistently long towards a forward line of Amad, Kemar Roofe and Ryan Kent that lacked the required height and physicality.

When van Bronckhorst’s men returned to the east end of Glasgow in May, however, the Gers had refined their approach on both sides of the ball. Rangers elected to play over the Celtic press as opposed to through it, with McGregor targeting the Hoops’ left-hand side with deliberate long balls towards the greater aerial threat of Fashion Sakala.

Indeed, 42% of McGregor’s passes on that afternoon were directed long. It allowed van Bronckhorst’s side to establish possession further upfield, aiming to isolate Ryan Kent one-versus-one on the opposite flank.

In the interim, Rangers dumped their neighbours out of the Scottish Cup at the semi-final stage with a performance in stark contrast to the first-half collapse at Parkhead. Van Bronckhorst made specific tweaks from the 2-1 defeat at Ibrox earlier in the same month – Rangers had started the match well but faded in the opening period – which saw Calvin Bassey move into central defence to fulfil an aggressive man-marking role on Tom Rogic.

The game at Hampden underlined the drastic shift in approach without the ball compared to the Steven Gerrard era. The former Liverpool captain emphasised the importance of defending space, whereas van Bronckhorst ripped up the previous regime’s playbook and instructed Rangers to man-mark aggressively across the pitch.

Rangers found joy targeting James Tavernier in advanced areas on the right flank as Connor Goldson continuously went long in possession.

The pair combined to help create Scott Arfield’s leveller in normal time before the side’s superior fitness levels prevailed in extra time.

Having enjoyed the luxury of his first full pre-season, van Bronckhorst has resculpted his approach both in and out of possession. Rangers are now more comfortable circulating the ball in their own defensive third to manipulate the opposition as opposed to playing vertically when pressurised.

There have also been key personnel changes. Bassey, who proved so instrumental in the Scottish Cup success that Rangers enjoyed over Postecoglou’s side last term, has moved on. Joe Aribo has also been replaced by Malik Tillman in midfield.

Van Bronckhorst also made the big call to change his No.1 goalkeeper over the summer, with Jon McLaughlin providing more security on the ball. Similarly, Antonio Colak is expected to lead the line after Rangers travelled to Celtic Park towards the end of last season without a recognised central striker.

All of these changes provide a different dynamic for Rangers as they make the trip across the city for the third time in 2022, all of which was evidenced in the side’s recent 1-0 victory away at PSV Eindhoven to secure a return to the Champions League.

Whereas Rangers employed a tight man-marking approach against Postecoglou’s side last season, they adopted a more hybrid defensive structure against the Dutch giants in Holland. Without home advantage and against a side with an abundance of technical quality, van Bronckhorst struck the perfect blend between pressure and control.

Rangers retained elements of their traditional man-orientated defensive set-up, but they weren’t as reactive to the movements of PSV’s wide rotations. The lessons from the 3-0 defeat at Parkhead had clearly been heeded.

The Ibrox side pressed aggressively in Eindhoven to force play back to the goalkeeper, before springing on PSV’s persistence in playing out from defence.

Colak’s work ethic and intelligence when pressing as the first line was key on the evening, helping force the goal with his situational awareness.

Notice how he arcs his press to limit the passing option out to the left for the PSV goalkeeper.

The Croatian adds another dimension to van Bronckhorst’s approach with his off-the-ball endeavour in the attacking third. Celtic’s strengths lie in their capacity to both build and sustain attacks in the opposition’s half, but there is a vulnerability to their deep build-up that has previously been exposed in European competitions.

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Similarly, Tillman’s athleticism allowed Rangers to stifle the influence of Ibrahim Sangare in Eindhoven. Callum McGregor operates in a similar role as the deepest midfielder for Celtic and the 20-year-old could be expected to fulfil a similar function on Saturday.

The Hoops’ tendency to invert their full-backs has been well-documented. Van Bronckhorst nullified this approach by instructing his side to press aggressively in the latter Old Firm contests last season, but Rangers will need to be mindful of Celtic’s left-sided bias.

The below pass networks from Celtic’s victories over Hearts and Kilmarnock this season underline the influence of Greg Taylor in helping his side progress play.

In possession, meanwhile, Rangers stretched the pitch in Eindhoven by pushing Tavernier high and having Kent hug the left touchline. In fact, the two combined to create a golden opportunity in the 1-1 draw back in May.

Tom Lawrence tucked inside from his nominal position on the right against Ruud van Nistelrooy's side, filling the central space between the lines when Tillman dropped to the left to drag Sangare out of the middle of the pitch. The two moved in-sync to allow Rangers to create central overloads, four-versus-three, and progress the ball through the middle third.

Celtic will pose their own variation to PSV’s off-the-ball approach, but the key for Rangers will be to strike a similar balance to what they achieved in Holland.

Rangers retained constant pressure on their Dutch opponents with their man-marking set-up, while the shifting organisation prevented the team from falling hostage to PSV’s nimble combination play.

Van Bronckhorst has shown an impressive ability to both raise and sustain Rangers' performance levels in these matches with a sound tactical approach. Eindhoven represents the latest blueprint.