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Champions League

Rangers v PSV predictions: Dynamic Dutch visitors set to silence Ibrox

Resilient Gers may have finally met their match

Cody Gakpo (left) is PSV Eindhoven's joint-top scorer
Cody Gakpo (left) is a key component in PSV's potent attackCredit: Soccrates Images

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Rangers v PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifying on Tuesday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 8pm Tuesday

Best bet

PSV Eindhoven
1pt 17-10 Hills

Team news

Rangers
Ryan Kent is a doubt while Alfredo Morales may again be on the bench. Filip Helander, Iannis Hagi and Kemar Roofe are out.

PSV Eindhoven
USA midfielder Richard Ledezma is out with an ankle injury. Mauro Junior, Yorbe Vertessen and ex-Spur striker Carlos Vinicius were already ruled out.

Match preview

It was one of those great Ibrox nights last week as Rangers came back from the brink to reach the final qualifying round of the Champions League. But the stadium may be quieter on Tuesday night as PSV Eindhoven put Gio van Bronckhorst's men in their place.

Ibrox was rocking as the Gers turned around a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Belgians Union Saint-Gilloise.

But former European champions PSV represent a far sterner test and this is a step up which might be one too far for the Light Blues.

Van Bronckhorst's former Oranje team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy is at the helm at the Philips Stadion this season – and he's started with a bang.

He kicked off his reign with a breathless 5-3 win over Dutch champs Ajax in the Super Cup, saw them leave it late before pipping Monaco 4-3 on aggregate in the Champions League, and has presided over a pair of league wins which see them joint-top with nine goals scored.

There is attacking power all across the park and these seasoned Champions League regulars can land the odds in a first heat which is unlikely to be cagey since that would be alien to both bosses.

Van Nistelrooy has brought in eight new players over the summer, Luuk de Jong is back and bagged the winner against Monaco, while teenager Xavier Simons arrived from PSG and Cody Gakpo continues to attract interest.

With their line-up and the intent inevitably going to be shown by Van Bronckhorst, you'd imagine there will be goals. Both teams to score is an 8-11 chance, PSV to win and both teams to score is 4-1.

That said, the 17-10 about the visitors is acceptable enough without needing to complicate things.

Rangers are a far more confident European side these days after reaching last year's Europa League final courtesy of wins over Borussia Dortmund and Leipzig (at home in both cases as well as on aggregate), and they are on a run of three straight home wins to nil since losing in Brussels to Union.

And their strength is at home, to the points where Simons suggested PSV will be playing against "12 men" such is the fervour of the crowd, although it's hard to imagine Van Nistelrooy's free-scoring, on-song and well-drilled team getting fazed by a bit of noise.

Over 2.5 goals is a 9-10 chance which smacks of value but, again, a straight bet on PSV should hit the mark.

Key stat

PSV have scored 18 goals in five matches this season.

Inside info

Rangers

Penalty taker James Tavernier
Assist ace Tom Lawrence
Set-piece aerial threat Ben Davies
Card magnet Connor Goldson

PSV

Penalty taker Cody Gakpo
Assist ace Xavi Simons
Set-piece aerial threat Armando Obispo
Card magnet Ibrahim Sangare


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Steve DaviesRacing Post Sport

Published on 15 August 2022inChampions League

Last updated 16:15, 15 August 2022

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