Free-scoring PSV - What Rangers face this evening

The Gers take on PSV in tonight's Champions League play-off

Luuk de Jong
Author: Gabriel AntoniazziPublished 16th Aug 2022

PSV Eindhoven are the only thing that can stop Rangers reaching the lucrative Champions League group stage, as they travel to Ibrox tonight for the first leg of the play-offs.

Here is the lowdown on the Dutch giants.

Manager

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst will face his long-time former Netherlands team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy in the dugout. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker, who played for PSV from 1998 to 2001, began his first managerial job at the start of this season after coaching for the Dutch national team and PSV youth set-up.

Form

Previous PSV games this season suggest there could be plenty of goals over the two legs. The Dutch Cup winners began their season with a 5-3 Super Cup win over Ajax, a game which saw Calvin Bassey sent off on his debut for the champions following his move from Rangers. PSV, who last won the title in 2018, reached the play-off thanks to a 4-3 aggregate win over Monaco and have scored nine goals and conceded three in their opening two league games against Emmen and Go Ahead Eagles.

Players

PSV have a youthful side but they have some experienced players such as Netherlands striker Luuk de Jong, who is back at the club after spells with Sevilla and Barcelona. Winger Cody Gakpo scored 21 goals last season plus two for the Dutch national team and has already netted three times this season. The 23-year-old is reportedly an immediate transfer target for Manchester United.

European Pedigree

PSV have won two European trophies - the 1978 UEFA Cup and 1988 European Cup. They played in all three competitions last season, losing to Benfica in the Champions League play-offs, finishing behind Monaco and Real Sociedad in the Europa League groups and then reaching the quarter-finals of the Conference League, where they lost to Leicester. They last reached the Champions League group stage in 2018-19 and got two points from a tough group featuring Tottenham, Inter Milan and Barcelona.