UCL: PSV thrash Rangers
PSV 5 - 1 Rangers
(PSV won 7-3 on aggregate)
A 5-1 demolition by PSV Eindhoven ended Rangers' hopes of playing in the Champions League again.
Ismael Saibari headed in to put PSV ahead on aggregate for the first time in the tie. He added a second after the break.
In the minutes following James Tavernier's strike and a brief Rangers lifeline, Luuk de Jong nodded home before Joey Veerman added another goal. Rangers' chastening evening was completed by an own goal by Connor Goldson.
This result and poor performance means that instead of joining their Old Firm rivals in the Champions League, they will return to the Europa League group stage.
One Rangers fan told us: "This was a terrible night and performance but being in the Europa League might be good for us."
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A terrible night for the away side
Rangers played poorly, carrying almost no threat until it was too late. PSV warmed to their task very quickly on the night, and it always looked like it was going to be difficult for the away side. The Ibrox club must quickly regroup for the Old Firm visit of Celtic on Sunday. This was the reaction from their official Twitter account.
FULL-TIME: PSV 5-1 Rangers (Agg 7-3) pic.twitter.com/aWKPkMkjrB
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) August 30, 2023
The Rangers boss Michael Beale told the media: "Hugely disappointed with the result. Over the two legs we struggled to handle Luuk de Jong and Ibrahim Sangare. The buck stops with me. We played against an excellent team this evening and I think that'll be shown by the end of the season but that doesn't make us hurt any less."
Gary, another Rangers fan, added: "I don't know what we thought was going to happen. We have the same terrible defense as last year, and yet we bring in half a dozen 'attacking' players. It seems only Beale thinks that our defensive players are good enough. After this performance, I'm not sure if we're good enough for Champions League or Europa League. Let's make amends against Celtic."
John, is a Rangers Season Ticket holder, he told us: "The humiliation was bad enough, but Butland had kept us from being completely thrashed. There seemed to be no belief, no fight, no real clue. And when we bring in guys who score six, eight, ten goals a year, what else can we expect when they fluff their lines time after time?"
A Europa League campaign awaits
Since this horrible defeat, the Ibrox side have been drawn in a UEFA Europa League Group alongside Real Betis, Sparta Prague and Aris Limassol.
