{"id":92322,"date":"2023-08-30T22:39:29","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T22:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stopsmokingway.com\/?p=92322"},"modified":"2023-08-30T22:39:29","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T22:39:29","slug":"psv-5-1-rangers-michael-beales-side-crash-out-of-champions-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stopsmokingway.com\/soccer\/psv-5-1-rangers-michael-beales-side-crash-out-of-champions-league\/","title":{"rendered":"PSV 5-1 Rangers: Michael Beale's side crash out of Champions League"},"content":{"rendered":"
By the time the end credits rolled on this calamitous sequel, Rangers had helped PSV Eindhoven attain revenge in the most brutal manner.<\/p>\n
Last season\u2019s box-office success in the Philips Stadium felt like a very distant memory. With a much-changed cast in blue, the plot was completely altered. Or even lost altogether.<\/p>\n
Hope of another \u00a320 million Champions League windfall had already vanished by the 82nd minute, when Connor Goldson rolled the ball into his own net from 18 yards after horribly misplacing a return pass to Jack Butland in a bizarre one-two. On a tough night of repeated defensive difficulties for Rangers, this was the final insult.<\/p>\n
Goldson looked distraught. PSV winger Johan Bakayoko offered him a pat of consolation. It wouldn\u2019t have lessened the pain.<\/p>\n
There will be no crack at Champions League redemption at Ibrox. On this evidence, that looks a blessing. The Europa League draw on Friday will offer a more forgiving environment for Michael Beale\u2019s revamped squad.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
PSV have qualified for the Champions League group stage at the expense of Rangers<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Michael Beale’s side crashed out with a 7-3 aggregate defeat to the Dutch giants on Wednesday<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Rangers collapsed in the second-half, conceding four goals in a comfy win for their opponents<\/p>\n
Somehow, they need to shake off this bitter disappointment and raise themselves to meet Celtic on Sunday. It won\u2019t be straightforward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This beating summoned up memories of the torment endured in last season\u2019s Champions League group stage, when Giovanni van Bronckhorst\u2019s side finished with the competition\u2019s worst-ever record. Again, a gulf in class became apparent.<\/p>\n
After a five-year wait, PSV are back in Europe\u2019s elite competition. How they revelled in the manner of this victory, taunting their visitors with chants towards the end. A richer club than Rangers they showed star quality in their line-up, most notably from brilliant two-goal midfielder Ismael Saibari. Nevertheless, this was a deeply chastening experience for Beale and his players.<\/p>\n
When James Tavernier briefly reduced the deficit to 2-1 midway during the second half, a flicker of optimism arose. It was rapidly snuffed out under a deluge of PSV goals.<\/p>\n
Luuk de Jong and Joey Veerman scored before Goldson\u2019s ghastly moment. The final whistle saw a little confrontation between Nico Raskin and Noa Lang but the real fight had long since been lost. By a knockout.<\/p>\n
Last season, the arrival of the Rangers team bus was met by pyrotechnic chaos. There was no repeat this time. If it was relatively quiet outside the ground, the same could not be said within as kick-off approached. A spectacular light show triggered a surge in noise levels. By the time, the teams appeared this steep-sided, compact ground echoed with a deafening din.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Beale had spoken of sticking by much of the starting line-up from the first leg. As it was, he made only two changes. Each felt brave. Inevitably, questions will be asked about the tactical approach adopted.<\/p>\n
A fortnight ago, you\u2019d have got long odds on Rabbi Matondo being asked to propel Rangers towards the promised land. Yet here he was. The Welsh winger stepped in for Abdallah Sima, just as he did from the bench to eye-popping effect at Ibrox last midweek.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
James Tavernier had briefly given Rangers a glimmer of hope after pulling the second leg score back to 2-1, only for PSV to score their third of five goals just two minutes later<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ismaek Saibari (centre) scored a brace on an impressive night for the Dutch side<\/p>\n
Midfield contained the other switch. Ryan Jack has often been a go-to man when the pressure dial turns red, but this time John Lundstram was preferred as a central presence. Explained his call pre-match, Beale said he wanted the Englishman\u2019s aggression and pressing ability to make life difficult for PSV. That never happened.<\/p>\n
Beale effectively set out a midfield four, with Jose Cifuentes to the right and Matondo on the left. Todd Cantwell was asked to get close to Cyriel Dessers up front.<\/p>\n
The simple demand was for all those selected to seize the opportunity in front of them. Effort couldn\u2019t be faulted in a first half of epic tension. All the chances and the lead, however, went to PSV. Peter Bosz\u2019s slick-moving team deserved their advantage.<\/p>\n
Rangers started with real purpose during the opening 15 minutes but soon found themselves under sustained pressure. Threat loomed everywhere. From pace and skill on both flanks to hustling intensity through the middle.<\/p>\n
Home captain De Jong was left unmarked to awkwardly head over from a corner kick before a first test for Butland arrived.<\/p>\n
Nico Raskin was mugged by the endlessly energetic Saibari in the prelude to Veerman chancing his luck from the edge of the area. Butland opted to parry clear and did so convincingly. He couldn\u2019t have imagined how busy his night would become.<\/p>\n
A livewire in the first leg, Johan Bakayoko constantly sought to create on the right. One tantalisingly deep cross stayed in the air for a long time. Butland didn\u2019t come for it. De Jong did and got between Goldson, James Tavernier and Cantwell to nod wide.<\/p>\n
Rangers couldn\u2019t find the right moments to release Matondo\u2019s pace. Raskin was guilty of wasting one prime opportunity with an intercepted pass. For the 2,000 visiting fans penned high in one corner of the stadium, it made for frustrating viewing.<\/p>\n
A searching long ball from Goldson did get Dessers away but the \u00a34.5 million striker was judged to have used a hand to control before angling a left-foot strike narrowly wide from 18 yards.<\/p>\n
Soon enough, the flow reverted back towards Butland. A neat interchange on the left led to Noa Lang picking out Saibari with a cutback. The connection was good but Butland thrust out his left foot to make a huge save.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s true value only endured for three minutes. Defensively, Rangers didn\u2019t learn their lesson. From the same area, and setting up the same player, PSV made the breakthrough.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Luuk de Jong of PSV battles for possession of the ball with Rangers’ John Souttar<\/p>\n
PSV<\/span>: Benitez, Dest, Teze (Sambo 83), Boscagli (Til 83), Saibari (Vertessen 87), Veerman, Sangare, Schouten, Lang (Silva 69), de Jong, Bakayoko (Tillman 87)<\/p>\n Unused subs:\u00a0 Pepi, Drommel, El Ghazi, Waterman, Babadi,van Aanholt<\/p>\n Goals: Saibari 35, 53, De Jong 66, Veerman 78, Goldson OG 81<\/p>\n Booked: Sambo, Tillman\u00a0<\/p>\n Rangers<\/span>: Butland, Tavernier, Goldson, Souttar, Barisic (Sterling 51), Lundstram, Cifuentes, Raskin (Lammers 61), Cantwell, Matondo (Jack 85), Dessers (Danilo 61)<\/p>\n Unused subs: Sima, Scott Wright, Davies, Balogun,\u00a0McCrorie, Kieran Wright, King, Devine<\/p>\n Goal: Tavernier 64\u00a0<\/p>\n Booked: Matondo\u00a0<\/p>\n Referee: Jose Maria Sanchez (Spain)<\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n This time, Sergino Dest found Lang who rolled in Veerman at the bye-line. The one-time Ibrox target stood up the cross and Saibari thundered through to head into the net. Raskin simply didn\u2019t see the run, while John Souttar was arguably caught on his heels.<\/p>\n The Philips Stadium lit up with joy. These were deeply dangerous times for Beale\u2019s side. It might have got worse before the break but Bakayoko was a little wayward with a blasted shot.<\/p>\n The system wasn\u2019t working for Rangers. A change felt almost necessary at the interval but the second period resumed in familiar fashion. PSV were dominant.<\/p>\n Injury did force an adjustment five minutes as Borna Barisic exited for Dujon Sterling. Soon after, though, the hosts struck again.<\/p>\n Jordan Teze had space to deliver when the ball was rolled back to him. The PSV right-back went for the far post and De Jong did brilliantly to divert back across goal on the slide for Saibari to pounce once more.<\/p>\n All too briefly, Rangers rallied. Matondo had a shot deflected over and Goldson flicked a header wide before substitute Sam Lammers latched onto a lobbed pass Cantwell and crossed low for Tavernier to finish at the back post.<\/p>\n Two minutes later, however, a Veerman free-kick found De Jong for a glancing header into the net and the two-goal advantage was restored.<\/p>\n Matondo was unlucky to hit the post in another Rangers flicker, but Veerman\u2018s rifling finish showed how it was done at the other end. Then came the horror own goal. In truth, it summed up a dark evening.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ibrahim Sangare brings down Rangers star Cyriel Dessers during the second-leg clash<\/p>\n It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\nIT’S ALL KICKING OFF!\u00a0<\/h3>\n