Instant Rangers analysis: Champions League dream ended by PSV

They will play their football in the Europa League group stage and not Europe's premier competition after being largely outplayed by the impressive Eredivisie side.

Michael Beale's side went behind on 35 minutes after lax marking by Jose Cifuentes allowed Noa Lang to steal in behind James Tavernier. The winger's cross was delicious and Ismael Saibari burst into the box late to nod past Jack Butland.

It was the least the Dutch outift deserved after a dominant first half performance that should have been more handsomely rewarded with goals. While the pace of Rabbi Matondo always offered a threat in behind, Rangers rarely looked likely to exploit the space effectively.

It was more of the same in the second half as PSV burst out of the traps and by the 53rd minute, they were two goals in front when Saibari tapped in Luuk De Jong's perfect knock down.

Suddenly Rangers looked freed from their shackles and came back into the game. Beale threw on Danilo and Lammers who provided a brilliant cross for James Tavernier to tap in at the back post to make it 2-1.

The lead was to last only 91 seconds as De Jong nodded home a free-kick to restore the two-goal advantage.

Rangers looked to fight back with Rabbi Matondo hitting the post but it was PSV who struck next with Joey Veerman making it four and putting the game to bed with a low drive.

And the final nail in Rangers' coffin came when Connor Goldson passed the ball into his own net in calamitous scenes to round off a night the team will want to quickly forget.

Here are the key points from the game.

Butland continues to impress

Butland was a bright spot (Image: Getty)

Statistics show that between an ageing Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin last season, Rangers conceded 13 goals more than expected based on the quality of shots they faced. You don't suspect similar numbers to be posted this season with Butland between the sticks. The England international is composed and efficient in everything he does and made a number of saves, saving his teammates from a more bruising scoreline. An early save from the excellent Ibrahim Sangare's low shot was particularly impressive. A despairing leg was enough to divert the strike and save what looked like a certain goal. The keeper's had an impressive start to life in Govan and while he will want to blaze his own trail, he looks a worthy successor to his legendary predecessor and a chink of light in an otherwise disappointing night.

Jonny McFarlane

Europa option may be long-term help

While there can be no doubt the Champions League is the better, more attractive and financially rewarding competition, any Scottish side will struggle at such a lofty standard against elite opponents with resources that far outstrip their own. The next tier of tournament doesn't have the same stardust but it still offers a big challenge against teams who are more likely to be closer to the Govan side in quality. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst was able to reach the final and came within a penalty kick of immortality only 15 months ago so there's no doubt a huge impact can be made. It might be that operating in this less demanding environment, with less capacity to be demoralising, might suit Rangers as they focus their efforts on their main target this season which is wrenching Celtic's domestic dominance back to the other side of the River Clyde. As we saw last season, reaching the promised land of European competition can be joyous in the moment, but the romance can quickly turn to horror if the draw throws up a combination of teams as difficult as Ajax, Napoli and Liverpool.

Jonny McFarlane

Beale’s tactical approach?

We’ll play a four in midfield with Jose (Cifuentes) on the right, John (Lundstram) and Nico (Raskin) in the middle and Rabbi (Matondo) from the left. Todd (Cantwell) can play really close to Cyriel (Dessers).

Seemingly, Michael Beale wanted to approach this game as his side had lined up in the second half at Ibrox, with a flat four across the middle in response to the inevitability of PSV’s possession. Although at Ibrox it was the first 45 that Rangers won on the basis of goals scored, they carried a greater threat after the interval with Cantwell closer to the central striker Dessers and Matondo able to run at PSV in transition from the left. For a period in Eindhoven that plan worked well but too often the care of the ball Beale acknowledged vital to secure Champions League passage was found lacking. When Raskin had the opportunity to find Matondo in space his pass hit a PSV defender and as Dessers raced through on goal the ball struck his arm. It was on their left, much like last week, that Peter Bosz’s side eventually found success. Cutback crosses, such a feature of their play, eventually reaping rewards. Rangers were slow to react from a throw-in and then, despite a warning sign minutes earlier, saw Ismael Saibari run off the back of the midfield to attack a cross that Jack Butland couldn’t keep out, having saved a similar attempt moments earlier. At half time Beale’s frustration would’ve been found in the fact that despite probably deserving to concede on the balance of play, the opportunities to fashion something at the other end were left unfulfilled. A move to a back three in possession, and the introduction of more attackers, helped at one end after PSV’s second but inevitably, it left the game open for the hosts to kill at the other end, which they did so emphatically. 

Joshua Barrie

Did Rangers do enough?

Rangers were the underdogs in this tie. PSV may not be a Premier League superpower but they still outpower the Ibrox side on a financial basis. Expectations, as last year’s group stage showed, must take this into consideration but the final scoreline was a damaging indictment of a night that eventually saw the visitors start to lose any notion of control. What will frustrate in the visiting side’s aftermath is that opportunities were there. PSV’s strength in an attacking sense was obvious but the spaces they left at the other end weren’t exposed, the ruthlessness that Beale admitted necessary to win at this ground absent. After the home side got their third on the night, the scoreline started to become more and more emphatic. 

It took Rangers until PSV’s second for a serious spell of possession and pressure around the home side’s box to play out. Sam Lammers and Danilo immediately offered better outballs through the pitch for Rangers and alongside a switch to a back three in possession, their control on the game immediately improved. For the first time, Beale’s side were able to get into their flow in the final third and a brilliant effort would follow, with Cantwell clipping the ball into Lammers, and the former PSV man turning a cross into the path of Tavernier at the back post. It was always going to be a big ask and in the end, one that proved too tall and the immediate concession of De Jong’s header put this tie out of sight. Two more strikes from PSV made this scoreline a demoralising one for Rangers heading into such a big game this weekend. PSV took out all the frustration built up since last August.

Joshua Barrie

No set-piece ‘levelling up’

Beale made a point of repeating a desire for his side to “level up” the tie from set-pieces in Eindhoven, having surrendered a lead to De Jong’s late header from a corner in Glasgow last Tuesday. Instead, the PSV captain would again score from a deal ball scenario. The no.9s proclivity to provide danger from these situations is no secret, PSV’s fans scream ‘Luuk’ at every set-piece scenario and the veteran forward is so dangerous when isolated. The Ibrox side were handed a warning in the first half that they failed to heed, as De Jong flicked home from a free-kick moments after the hope of Tavernier’s strike. Set pieces have proven a net positive for Beale since arriving with the attacking improvement clear but nobody, as last week’s comments demonstrated, will be more frustrated than the manager at the nature of those two moments. By the end of the tie, PSV’s superiority on the ball was clear. Even with the game at 3-1 on the night, Matondo struck the post for Rangers following a brilliant individual run, Lammers curled wide and another transition looked set to create a one-v-one opportunity but it was the hosts’ ruthlessness that sent the tie out of sight. This was a reminder of the levels away Rangers remain from competing in the Champions League, with a scoreline that will take time to recover from.

Joshua Barrie