So its PSV Eindhoven then, Rangers fans.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst could have been forgiven for wondering if he’d accidentally walked underneath a ladder and smashed 13 mirrors on his way to Auchenhowie when PSV’s ball was plucked from the pot earlier in August.
In the Eredivisie giants, Rangers might just have landed the toughest match-up of all as they look to secure Champions League group-stage football for the first time since 2010.
Standing in their way is a free-flowing, free-scoring side boasting a Germany international, a £34 million midfield colossus and one of the most coveted young forwards in Europe among their ranks.
But there’s still room in our ‘combined XI’ for five Ibrox heroes; A reflection of just how well-balanced these two sides are.
Our PSV Eindhoven vs Rangers combined XI
GK – Walter Benitez
Jon McLaughlin didn’t exactly cover himself in glory during Rangers’ insipid defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium, giving the Glasgow giants a mountain to climb in the return leg at Ibrox. You won’t see Walter Benitez – one of the finest shot-stoppers in France during his time at Nice – making mistakes like that all too often.
The 29-year-old Argentinian is a major upgrade on PSV’s goalkeeping options from last season.
RB – James Tavernier
No player in the Europa League’s knockout rounds scored more goals (seven) than Tavernier during Rangers’ run to the final. A truly remarkable feat for a right-back.
Tavernier transcends his supposed ‘defensive’ role; A master of set-pieces and Rangers’ most reliable creative outlet.
CB – Conor Goldson
Of all the business Rangers did this summer, tying Goldson down to a new contract might just have been the most important. Not only an excellent defender, the 29-year-old is also a key part of the Van Bronckorst gameplan at the other end of the pitch with those trademark crossfield passes.
CB – Andre Ramalho
With James Sands looking like something of a weak-link during an inconsistent start to Rangers’ 2022/23 campaign, Brazil-born Ramalho swaggers into our XI alongside Goldson. Like the former Brighton man, Ramalho is a front-foot, ball-playing centre-half with an eye for goal.
Rangers cannot afford to switch off at corners and free-kicks with him around.
LB – Philipp Max
While Borna Barisic rolled back the years with two assists against Union, the long-serving Croatian has not been at his best for well over a year now. And while Barisic’s opposite number had troubles of his own during a difficult 2021/22, his superb delivery from the left-hand flank makes a fully fit Philipp Max a force to be reckoned with.
Since joining PSV from Augsburg, he’s either scored or set up a goal almost every three games on average.
CDM – Ibrahim Sangare
While plenty of clubs continue to show an interest in Sangare, Ruud van Nistelrooy will be counting his lucky stars that he can still call upon the fearsome physicality and boundless energy of his 6ft 3ins Ivorian man-mountain.
The £34 million-rated Sangare is the man who makes PSV tick; A ball-winner and a ball-player rolled into a frame the size of a sky-scraper.
CM – Joey Veerman
A name that will be familiar to Rangers supporters. Steven Gerrard wanted Veerman at Ibrox during the summer of 2021, but the former Heerenveen star will be wearing the red and white of PSV when he finally touches down in Glasgow.
Dynamic, positive and an excellent striker of the ball from distance, Veerman has scored twice in two European games this season already.
CM – Malik Tillman
That Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack, Tom Lawrence and John Lundstram all miss out here is a testament to how quickly Bayern Munich loanee Tillman has settled in Scotland. Even if you were to ignore his dramatic headed winner against Union, Tillman’s quick-thinking and dizzying footwork have made him a fans favourite in double-quick time.
RW – Cody Gakpo
Perhaps the most talented player available to either club, the fact that PSV have warned Manchester United against making a bid for Gakpo until the Champions League play-offs are out the way shows just how integral he is to the club’s chances of progression.
In all competitions last term, Gakpo scored 21 goals and set up 15 more. Give him time and space at your peril. Rangers, you’ve been warned.
LW – Ryan Kent
How many times has Ryan Kent turned a tricky European tie on it’s head for Rangers? Cracking the tightest of locks with his surgeon’s scalpel of a left foot. Kent’s speed and directness could be worth it’s weight in gold against a PSV side who will look to push high up the pitch, thereby leaving themselves open to quick counters.
CF – Alfredo Morelos
Who else? Rangers’ all-time record goalscorer in European competition; If Morelos had been fit in Seville, the Glasgow giants might have avoided a nail-biting qualification campaign in the first place. If there is one area of the PSV squad that looks to be lacking in star quality, it’s at centre-forward.
You cannot say the same about Rangers when Morelos is at his Bufalo in a china shop best.
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