Rangers v PSV
Tuesday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport
Dutch stars clash at Ibrox
Two legends of Dutch football clash at Ibrox on Tuesday as Giovanni van Bronkhorst leads his ambitious Rangers team into battle against Ruud van Nistelrooy's PSV Eindhoven in this UEFA Champions League qualifying first leg.
This is the play-off round meaning the winner of this tie over two legs will progress to the money-spinning group stages. With Celtic already securing their slot, Scottish football hopes to have two representatives, but getting past PSV will be no mean feat for Rangers.
Gers continue to break records
Rangers booked their place in the play-offs courtesy of a stunning comeback win over Belgian high-flyers Union Saint-Gilloise. Last season's Europa League runners-up returned to European action with a 2-0 defeat in Belgium but turned it around on another super-charged night in Govan.
A dominant display with goals scored by James Tavernier, Antonio Colak and Malik Tillman helped Rangers break another record, overturning a two-goal deficit in the competition for the first time. They now play the first leg at home and hope the unique atmosphere will drive the team on to another huge effort.
The hosts were sublime here on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership, hammering St Johnstone 4-0 thanks to a strong showing in the second half. The Saints set up to frustrate with a low block, but Rangers remained patient.
Tillman scored his second goal in three days to break the deadlock before strikes from Colak, Scott Arfield, and Tom Lawrence made sure of a timely and impressive win.
PSV hit the Eagles for five
PSV Eindhoven entered the Champions League at the qualifying rounds after finishing second behind Ajax last season in the Eredivisie, ending two points off the pace. They came through a tough encounter with Monaco in the previous round, sneaking past the French side 4-3 on aggregate following an engrossing two legs.
The pair played out a tight 1-1 draw in Monaco, with former Rangers target Joey Vermeen scoring the opener on 39 minutes before his teammates conceded a late equaliser. PSV were expected to get the job done at home, but they made heavy weather of it. The scores were locked at 2-2 after 90 minutes before Luuk de Jong snatched the winner on 109 minutes.
Fans of the Peasants had an easier time on Saturday in the Eredivisie when dismantling Go Ahead Eagles 6-2 on the road. That score may have Gers fans fearing the worst, but it's worth noting the beaten team played an hour with 10 men, the game locked at 1-1 until the sending off.
Ibrox is ready to play its part
We enjoyed some memorable nights in Govan last season, and the fans will be out in force to do their bit on Tuesday. They made the difference in the last round, and the 50,000 plus supporters wearing light blue are ready to do the same again. No atmosphere in football can match Ibrox on a European night under the lights, but will it be enough?
Rangers are priced at 2.6813/8 on the Betfair Exchange to bag a first-leg lead, while PSV Eindhoven can be supported at 2.89/5. A draw 3.55/2 wouldn't be the worst result for either team.
PSV have drawn two and won two games this month, scoring 13 goals, while Rangers have played four and scored nine goals. Sticking with the stats, these teams have met six times previously, with the Dutch club winning just once. Both teams to score is 1.738/11 or there's over 2.5 goals @ 1.9210/11.