Rangers vs. PSV result, highlights & analysis as Obispo leaves Champions League playoff all square

Total times read this article : 4

Armando Obispo snatched a 2-2 draw for PSV in the first leg of their Champions League playoff showdown with Rangers at Ibrox — and spared the blushes of his goalkeeper Walter Benitez.

Benitez botched a routine 70th-minute save, letting Tom Lawrence’s free-kick slip from his grasp and squirm over the line to put Rangers 2-1 ahead.

The lead only lasted for eight minutes as centre-back Obsipo headed home from Cody Gakpo’s corner, with a delivery from the reported Manchester United target having also led to Ibrahim Sangare’s first-half opener.

Rangers were swiftly on terms in the 40th minute when Antonio Colak clipped in a smart finish from James Tavenier’s first-time cross, crowning a beautiful team move.

Rangers vs. PSV final score

  1H 2H Final
Rangers 1 1 —
PSV 1 1 —

Goals:

PSV — IBRAHIM SANGARE (JORDAN TEZE) — 37th min.

RAN — ANTONIO COLAK (JAMES TAVERNIER) — 40th min.

RAN — TOM LAWRENCE — 70th min.

PSV — ARMANDO OBISPO (CODY GAKPO) — 78th min.

MORE: Who is Cody Gakpo? Manchester United target primed to grace Champions League stage at Ibrox in Rangers vs. PSV clash

Luuk de Jong was PSV’s extra-time hero in the previous round but wasted a good early chance on the end of Ismael Saibari’s cross.

Rangers settled well after allowing that opening, meaning the opening goal came against the run of play in the 37th minute. Conor Goldson couldn’t fully head Gakpo’s corner to safety and Jordan Teze touched the ball into Sangare’s path for the midfielder to shovel home left-footed.

Giovanni van Brockhorst’s men found an instant and stylish response as Steven Davis’s reverse pass released James Tavernier. The right-back’s low first-time cross found a finish to match from Colak, who made it four goals in as many outings.

PSV enjoyed a period in the ascendency either side of the hour and Saibari should have done better when he latched on to De Jong’s flick on, skipped past Goldson but prodded wide.

There was another twist when Benitez undid the good work of a fine earlier save from Colak with an error the wet conditions could do little to explain.

Obispo had other ideas and Ruud van Nistelrooy will now fancy their chances going into next week’s return in Eindhoven.
 

Rangers vs. PSV UEFA Champions League playoff first leg as it happened

Fulltime: Good friends that they are, Van Bronckhorst and Van Nistelrooy embrace at full-time. Everything is wonderfully poised for the second leg in Holland and there’ll be no complaints if we get 90 more minutes like that. Both teams led, neither could hold on for very long. PSV might have the slight edge in quality but Rangers scored the goal of the night with a delicious passing move. They really do look very evenly matched. Let’s do it all again next week!

90th minute+3: A barrelling Rangers attack moves over to the right flank. Wright neglects to put the cross in and that might be that.

90th minute+1: We’re into the first of three additional minutes. Colak looks to latch on to a flick-on from Tavernier. Van Bronckhorst thinks his number nine was being unfairly held back. The officials disagree.

89th minute: Perhaps understandably, the intensity has waned. It’s been a fine game. Are the sides ready to shake hands on this and go again in Eindhoven at two apiece?

82nd minute: Max darts into the Rangers box, out comes McLaughlin and that’s a superb save. How important might it look a week from now?

78th minute: GOOAALLLL!!!! Obispo!!!!!

Very dangerous, as it happens. Obispo rises highest to bury another fine Gakpo delivery. We’re all square again!

76th minute: Van Nistelrooy is readying Branthwaite to come on. PSV looking a little flat here but they have another corner and they’ve been dangerous from those tonight.

70th minute: GOOAALLLL!!!! Lawrence!!!!!

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear Walter Benitez. Lawrence struck the free-kick well and it bounced about 10 yards from goal. Yes, the conditions are wet and slippery, but that’s a shambles from the PSV goalkeeper, who lets the ball squirm from his grasp and cannot stop it from crossing the line.

68th minute: Tillman pounces on a poor ball played in to Saibari who chases back to haul him down and enter the book. Glen Kamara and Scott Wright are coming on.

67th minute: Tillman takes that nicely on the half turn and gets a left-footed shot off. It’s scuffed slightly and Benitez scoops it up.

62nd minute: Saibari glides into the Rangers box, lovely close control. McLaughlin is able to smother his shot. This is a good spell for PSV.

58th minute: Free-kick to PSV about 30 yards out to the left. Veerman, who scored in both legs against Monaco likes the look of this. He doesn’t like the look of what he does with it, though, plopping a harmless effort into the Copland Road Stand.

53rd minute: Even closer at the other end! PSV go route one, De Jong wins the flick on and Saibari takes a dreamy touch to nutmug Goldson. He lines up the finish but prods it just wide of the right post.

52nd minute: Close! Tavernier controls on his chest and Tillman’s run creates a lane for the pass. Colak is onto it and shoots across goal but Benitez produces a sharp save on this occasion.

50th minute: Referee Orsato had kept his powder dry so far but he really has no choice here. Obispo piles through the back of Colak and is booked.

47th minute: Deep and dangerous delivery from Gakpo after a cleverly worked corner routine. Sands gets up in a crowded penalty area to clear.

46th minute: We’re back underway. Can Rangers maintain their momentum from before the break?

Halftime: A gripping half comes to an end with Rangers on top. They traded blows with PSV and ended in the ascendency thanks to Colak’s wonderfully worked equaliser. The key for the visitors is to involve Gakpo whenever they can. They look a different side when he’s in play.

45th minute: Tavernier heads into Benitez’s arms but should the buccaneering right-back have left that for Lawrence, who was unmarked and poised behind him. In fairness, if Lawrence called for it he might not have heard him. There’s a ferocious din in the ground.

43rd minute: The mood has completely shifted. Rangers are popping the ball about beautifully and have another corner. It’s played short and PSV goalscorer Sangare heads the eventual cross clear. His teammates look like they need halftime.

39th minute: GOAL!!!!!! Colak!!!!!

What a response from Rangers. That’s a brilliant goal! Delightful one-tough passing from the hosts as Davis slots in Tavernier down the right channel. His cutback is dispatched for Colak, who extends his on-going hot streak to four in four games.

37th minute: GOAL!!!!! Sangare!!!!

Rangers had the better of the first half our but that had been on the cards for the past few minutes. Goldson fails to clear the latest left-wing corner and Sangare picks up the ball in the melee to shovel home a left-footed finish.

33rd minute: Here he goes again. Tavernier is nutmegged by Gakpo and Goldson helps to tidy up. Hearts in Rangers mouths for a second as Tillman heads the resulting corner towards his own goal, but it’s straight into McLaughlin’s arms.

31st minute: PSV need to get more of the ball to Gakpo because he looks absolutely electric. The left-winger adjusts to a high ball and flicks it over Tavernier’s head. Lawrence gets back with a well-timed, if slightly desperate, lunge and it’s a corner. Rangers deal with it unfussily. 

29th minute: Goldson tangles with De Jong, who has a fistful of his jersey. Rangers get the free-kick then there’s a bit of pushing and shoving between the pair. The referee seems to enjoy this sort of thing a lot less than Graeme Souness and tells them to pack it in.

27th minute: Handball claims from the corner. Teze had his arm up and Goldson’s header appeared to hit him just below the shoulder. A VAR check concludes and on we go. Orsato went over to the Rangers bench to signal the ball striking Teze’s sleeve is okay under the current interpretation of the rules.

26th minute: Obisbo clumsily hacks into Lawrence but the referee plays advantage and Tillman wins a corner. Ibrox want to see a card but the PSV defender escapes.

24th minute: Lovely feet from Tillman after Barisic drills a pass into the box. The forward sashays past a couple of challenges but then overplays it and it’s a goalkick. Still, these are good signs for Van Bronckhorst’s men.

21st minute: First attempt on goal for the hosts and that’s some smart work from Davis, who picked out Tillman on the edge of the box, where the Bayern Munich loanee’s shot was too close to Benitez.

20th minute: The fouls are tallying up for PSV at the moment and it might not be long before referee Daniele Orsato reaches for his notebook. Tavernier launches the dead ball into the box from deep, Goldson meets it but it deflects back against the Rangers defender to go out for a goalkick.

17th minute: Saibari gets down the right channel but his low cross is cut out by Barisic’s heel. Some absorbing end-to-end sparring going on.

15th minute: Free-kick on the left for Rangers, inviting angle for Tom Lawrence to swing one in. It’s a decent ball and Veerman heads clear for a throw-in.

Meanwhile, there’s some footballing royalty in…

12th minute: Oh, that’s a lively first involvement from Gakpo, who darts beyond Goldson as if he isn’t there. Lundstram darts after the Netherlands winger, who cuts inside and finds Sangare. Veerman then tries to slide a pass into the box but it’s gobbled up by McLaughlin.

8th minute: First attack of note for Rangers as Kent barrels into the box but Sangare snuffs out the danger. The former Liverpool youngster then has a look at PSV right-back Teze. He looks in the mood.

7th minute: Rangers are committed to playing slick football out from the back but are the conditions too slick for that tonight? McLaughlin just sold Goldson short and he had to hoof into the stands before giving his goalkeeper a disgruntled glare.

4th minute: PSV should be ahead. De Jong was their hero against Monaco last week and he got on the end of delicious delivery from Saibari. He couldn’t get it on target and should have done better, although there would probably have been a wafer-thin VAR check to negotiate.

4 mins from kickoff: Here come the teams, stepping out to a ferocious din and a downpour. 180 minutes ahead (90 of those next week, we’ve not gone mad) and a place in the Champions League proper at stake. Bring it on!

20 mins from kickoff: Recent heatwaves in the UK be damned. The players are wrapping up their warm-ups and it’s absolutely sheeting it down at Ibrox. I’m sure the locals wouldn’t have it any other way as they hope to make it as uncomfortable as possible for PSV.

40 mins from kickoff: Part of Davis’ task will be to try and shackle Joey Veerman in the PSV engine room. Rangers should know him well, given he was a reported transfer target this summer before opting to move to Eindhoven from Heerenveen. In the Monaco tie, the 23-year-old scored in both legs.

50 mins from kickoff: Van Bronckhorst has plumped for the experience of Steven Davis in midfield. The 37-year-old Northern Irishman made his first appearance of the season against St Johnstone at the weekend and he joins John Lundstram and Tom Lawrence in Rangers’ central three.

Teenage sensation Xavi Simons could do some damage from the bench for PSV after scoring a brace against Go Ahead Eagles on Saturday.

1hr 5 mins from kickoff: And here’s the PSV XI.

1hr 10 mins from kickoff: This is a UEFA competition, so teams drop about 1hr 15 from the first whistle rather than an hour. Does that catch you out at the start of every season too? Just me? Anyway, here’s how Rangers will line up.

1hr 20 mins from kickoff: Rangers beat their Belgian opponents 3-0 last week having shipped a 2-0 first-leg deficit. PSV also had to go through the mill in a glamour tie against Monaco, eventually prevailing 3-2 and 4-3 on aggregate after Luuk de Jong’s 109th-minute winner.

“Our fans lifted us and carried us through extra time and that really gave us wings, because we had a hard time at home,” head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy said.  We know what it’s like to be supported in this way, that’s why we can relate to the support here [at Rangers] and what it does to a team.”

1hr 40 mins from kickoff: The realities of the draw present Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men with a new challenge. On their riotous run to the Europa League final last season and in the previous Champions League preliminary round against Union St Gilloise, Rangers have harnessed the roar of Ibrox in high-intensity second legs to get themselves over the line. Tonight, you feel they must open up a healthy advantage before a tough assignment in Eindhoven next week.

2 hours from kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of the UEFA Champions League playoff encounter between Rangers and PSV. Can the Dutch giants breach fortress Ibrox? We’re a couple of hours away from beginning to find out.

Rangers vs. PSV lineups

Both teams enjoyed ideal preparation, with Rangers putting four unanswered goals past St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday. Ryan Kent was rested for the match and will be fresh for PSV, while United States international James Sands is fit to start. Veteran midfielder Steven Davis has been handed a surprise start.

Rangers starting XI (4-3-3): McLaughlin (GK) — Tavernier, Goldson, Sands, Barisic — Lundstrum, Davis, Lawrence — Tillman, Colak, Kent.

PSV were in a similarly rampant mood as they beat Go Ahead Eagles 5-2. After scoring the decisive extra-time goal against Monaco in the previous round, experienced striker Luuk de Jong opened the scoring at the weekend. Teenage sensation Xavi Simons then helped himself to a brace but will have to make an impact from the bench tonight as rumoured Manchester United target Cody Gakpo starts.

PSV starting XI (4-3-3): Benitez (GK) — Teze, Obispo, Ramalho, Max — Sangare, Gutierrez, Veerman — Saibari, De Jong, Gakpo.

MORE: Which teams are in the 2022/23 Champions League? 

How to watch Rangers vs. PSV

  UK USA Canada Australia
TV channel BT Sport 1 — — —
Streaming BT Sport TUDN DAZN Stan Sport

UK: Subscription channel BT Sport will show the match in the UK. BT is the exclusive rights holder for the Champions League and Europa League in the country. Viewers can stream matches on the BT Sport website and app.

USA: Champions League matches are carried by CBS Sports in the USA, but not all qualifiers are broadcast. This match is available via the TUDN streaming service and app.

Canada: Champions League matches are carried by DAZN in Canada.

Australia: Champions League matches are carried by Stan Sport in Australia.

Facebook Comments Box

Hits: 0

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR