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    Rangers 1 Real Betis 0 – Light Blues kickstart Europa League campaign with Ibrox win as Sima goal turns jeers to cheers

    MICHAEL BEALE needed a statement victory.Abdallah Sima delivered it on a night when Rangers turned the jeers to cheers.
    Rabbi Matondo had the best chance of the first halfCredit: PA
    Jack Butland was called into action on several occasionsCredit: Reuters
    Abdallah Sima scores after getting on the end of a scramble in the Betis boxCredit: Reuters
    Life, they say, begins at 40.
    How Beale – who reached that number of games in charge of Gers last night – must hope that rings true.
    Hounded up the tunnel on his last visit home, the embattled Ibrox boss took a huge step on the road to redemption against Real Betis.
    Away wins at Hearts and Hibs last season. Old Firm glory when only pride was at stake.

    It’s been nowhere near good enough.
    But backed into a corner, Beale has come out fighting – masterminding a first win for Rangers over Spanish opposition in 38 years.
    You can only admire the courage he’s shown these past few weeks. 
    In their last Europa League campaign, Gers made it all the way to the final in Seville.
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    On the eve of their latest adventure, Beale claimed his side were “expected” to reach the knockout stages.
    It was a bold statement given his early season woes.
    Just days after being embarrassed in Eindhoven – their Champions League dream ripped apart by PSV – his Rangers side fell four points behind Celtic in the title race.
    Factor in an opening day league defeat at Kilmarnock and Beale is a man with very little credit in the bank.
    He certainly doesn’t have his troubles to seek.
    Danilo, Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin have all been ruled out until after the international break.
    Had they been fit, all three would surely have started this crucial Group C opener.
    As a result, Beale made four changes to his starting lineup, with Jose Cifuentes, Rabbi Matondo, Sima and Borna Barisic all in from the start.
    Betis left it late before declaring back-up keeper Claudio Bravo fit to face Gers.
    No.1 Rui Silva limped out of the 5-0 hammering against Barcelona at the weekend, with boss Pellegrini fearing he may have to field third choice Fran Vieites.
    With just five minutes gone, Pellegrini had 40-year-old Bravo to thank.
    Kemar Roofe split the Betis defence with a superb pass.
    Rabbi Matondo’s pace took him clear, but he couldn’t find the finish with Bravo getting down well to make the save.
    It was a massive chance – the only real one to speak of for Rangers in a first half largely dominated by the visitors.
    After that early scare, Betis took control of the ball with Isco at the centre of just about everything.
    As his influence on the game grew, so did the Spanish chances.
    With 20 minutes played Borja Iglesias slip a clever ball in behind the Rangers defence.
    Abdessamad Ezzalzouli showed James Tavernier a clean pair of heels, but his effort was well saved by Jack Butland.
    Matondo then inexplicably gave the ball away with Héctor Bellerín latching onto an Iglesias pass.
    He cut back inside Barisic, picking out Isco with the cross.
    You would have backed the former Real Madrid star to at least hit the target, instead he scooped high over the bar.
    On the half hour, Marc Roca picked out Ezzalzouli with another ridiculous pass.
    The winger had a clear sight of Butland’s goal, but he too sent a shot sailing high and wide.
    Four minutes later, the same player once again went close. Cifutenes was robbed of possession in the middle of the park with Betis moving through the gears quickly.
    But once more Ezzalzouli couldn’t hit the target and Gers survived another scare.
    Beale’s men simply couldn’t keep a hold of the ball. 
    Barisic, Tavernier, Matondo, Cifutenes and Lundstram were all guilty of giving it away.
    They did rally towards the end of the half, but other than the save from Matondo, Bravo had had little to do.
    Rangers needed to show more composure in the second half.
    They needed possession of the football.
    Betis hadn’t really been stretched defensively, yet you felt centre half Guido Rodríguez was there to be got at.
    And that’s exactly what Rangers did. On the front foot, they went on the attack.
    Sima got the ball rolling, doing well to pick out Matondo in a crowded Betis box.
    Matondo got his shot away, but Bellerin did just enough to put him off. 
    Moments later Lawrence burst forward, blasting inches past the post from 25 yards out.
    It was better from Rangers. Much more like it.
    Ibrox too was beginning to warm to the occasion.
    Thursday night’s under the lights are always a bit special in this part of the world. 
    Up until now, the home crowd had very little to cheer.
    With 55 minutes on the clock, Barisic almost raised the roof.
    Marc Barta clattered into Roofe right on the edge of the box. 
    Barisic took the free-kick, with Bravo having to tip his curling effort onto the bar.
    It was the closest either side had come to the opening goal.
    A quite sensational run from Matondo then carried Rangers up the length of the park and from the resultant corner Beale’s men snatched the lead.
    It was messy, it was a scramble, but not a single Gers fan inside Ibrox cared.
    Tavernier swung over the corner with sub Sam Lammers heading back across goal. 
    Roofe’s initial point blank effort was superbly saved by Bravo, but Connor Goldson was there to keep the ball alive.
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    As it bobbled around the six yard box, both Ben Davies and Sima went for it – the latter just getting there first.

    Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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    Celtic ‘Active Service Unit’ hooligans & Feyenoord ultras hold brutal fists-at-dawn brawl before Champions League clash

    CELTIC hooligans boasted of holding an organised brawl with Feyenoord ultras ahead of tonight’s Champions League fixture.The Scottish and Dutch champions are set to face-off in their Group E opener at De Kuip in Rotterdam, Netherlands at 8pm.
    Celtic ‘Active Service Unit’ hooligans boasted of taking part an organised brawl with Feyenoord ultrasCredit: X
    Feyenoord fans have left threatening messages to Celtic ahead of their Champions League clashCredit: @casualultras/X
    Feyenoord Ultras hold up their ‘Zero Tolerance’ banner while posing with flags they claim they stole from Celtic supporters in RotterdamCredit: X
    But it is the hooligans and ultras of each club who claim to have already kicked off proceedings.
    With fights inside stadiums now thankfully a rarity, hooligans now look to organise meet-ups and battles in the wilderness and secret locations.
    And that appears to be the case this week for the hard nut supporters of Celtic and Feyenoord.
    An image uploaded to X, formerly Twitter, by an account dedicated to Scottish football culture showed seven men lined up in a field.
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    It was accompanied by the caption: “Arranged fight- Celtic Active Service Unit v Feyenoord, 7×7 50 seconds (win Feyenoord).”
    The men in the picture had all their faces blurred out but were wearing the same branded green tops, and some wear martial arts-style wrist bindings or gloves.
    The name “Active Service Unit” appears to be a reference to a notorious Provisional IRA a military cell who were tasked with carrying out armed attacks.
    The Glasgow club has strong links with Ireland and some supporters are known to sing controversial sectarian chants.
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    The social media post suggested the group of Celtic yobs lost their battle with the opposition.
    Feyenoord’s ultras have also been pictured in social media posts ahead of the game.
    One image details the threats of “Celtic not welcome” which have been spraypainted across the city ahead of the Scottish side’s visit.
    Images were uploaded of the ultras posing with flags and banners which they claimed to have have stolen from Celtic fans.
    They are also seen holding up their own banner, which reads: “Feyenoord Zero Tolerance.”
    Symbols of certain movements and groups, such as the LGBTQ flag and the Star of David, can be seen beneath and have been crossed out with red lines in a sickening act.
    With these organised fights kept strictly confidential, it is unknown whether there is any footage and the extent of the casualties.
    Both clubs have a history of hooliganism among a small group of supporters.
    A mob of Celtic fans were caught up in a street brawl with a group of Rangers hooligans before the two sides went head-to-head in the Scottish League Cup final in February.
    And last November, 40 Celtic fans were thrown off a train at Albacete for hooliganism ahead of their Champions League fixture against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
    Feyenoord’s ultras are also no strangers to hitting the headlines, having attacked a group of Union Berlin team officials ahead of a Europa Conference League game in October 2021.
    Victims included the German club’s President, Dirk Zingler, while a woman was hospitalised following the attack at a restaurant in Rotterdam.
    Elsewhere across Europe today, a Newcastle fan was stabbed three times as the Magpies prepare to face AC Milan at the San Siro.
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    Brit Eddie McKay, 58, was with his son when he was viciously attacked by seven or eight knife-wielding thugs wearing balaclavas around midnight.
    Around 5,000 Toon fans have travelled to Italy for the club’s first Champions League match in 20 years.
    Celtic’s hooligans took their ‘Active Service Unit’ name from the IRACredit: Getty
    Celtic mobs clashed with Rangers fans ahead of the Scottish League Cup final in February
    Feyenoord’s ultras attacked a group of Union Berlin team officials in October 2021Credit: Instagram
    Feyenoord thugs also clashed with Italian riot police in Rome in February 2015Credit: Getty More

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    Graham Potter REJECTS return to management with Rangers with ex-Chelsea boss holding out for another job

    GRAHAM POTTER has turned down a return to management with Scottish side Rangers after being approached to replace under-fire Michael Beale.Rangers have lost two of their first four Scottish Premiership games, including an Old Firm derby, and were knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers thanks to a 5-1 second-leg thumping by PSV Eindhoven.
    Graham Potter has reportedly turned down the Rangers jobCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    That has led Rangers bosses to explore their options and an approach was made to Potter’s representatives.
    However, the former Chelsea and Brighton boss was not interested in discussing the job.
    Potter is relaxed and not keen to rush back into management, preferring to wait for the right job to come up.
    The ex-Swansea manager recently held talks with French club Lyon but decided against a move to the Ligue 1 side.
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    Lyon sit bottom of France’s top tier after picking up just one point from their opening four league games.
    Having been sacked by Chelsea in April, Potter is now keen to return to a Champions League level club or a role where there is clear potential to reach Europe’s top competition in the near future.

    He was approached by Leicester immediately after leaving Stamford Bridge.
    It came after the Foxes had axed Brendan Rodgers as they battled relegation.
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    But Potter deemed it too soon to return to the game as Leicester brought in Dean Smith, before they went down.
    Potter won just 12 of 31 games while in charge of Chelsea.
    But he remains a highly-respected coach following successful spells with Swedish side Ostersund, Swansea and Brighton. More

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    Axed Chelsea boss Graham Potter linked with another massive job after snubbing move to France

    GRAHAM POTTER is on Rangers’ shortlist of potential replacements for Michael Beale.Gers boss Beale faces the chop after a 1-0 Old Firm defeat at home to Celtic last Sunday.
    Graham Potter is wanted by RangersCredit: Reuters
    Former Brighton boss Potter, 48, has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April when he was 31 games into a five-year deal.
    He turned down a chance to return with French club Lyon and is on the radar of the Scottish giants, who trail league-leading Hoops by four points after four Premiership games.
    The Celtic loss came following a 7-3 aggregate defeat to PSV Eindhoven ended Gers’ Champions League qualification bid.
    Rangers have also been linked with Birmingham boss John Eustace if they lose patience with Beale.
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    Potter was wanted by Leicester in the summer but appears to be happy to bide his time before his next job.
    Potter picked up a huge pay-off following his sacking by Blues, which has allowed him some time out of the game.
    He has managed for the last 12 years after beginning his professional managerial career with Swedish minnows Ostersund.
    After impressing in a shock Europa League campaign, Potter got a move back to England with Swansea and then Brighton.
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    But he struggled at Chelsea despite spending £330MILLION during the January transfer window.
    In fact, he won just 12 out of 31 games in charge and was subsequently sacked by Todd Boehly. More

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    Al-Ittihad ‘to leave record signing Jota out of squad with another high-profile incoming replacing him’

    FORMER Celtic star Jota has been left out of Saudi side Al-Ittihad’s squad despite being the club’s record signing, according to reports.The winger, 24, only joined from Celtic for £25million in July.
    Jota has been axed from the Al-Ittihad squad, according to reportsCredit: Getty
    The signing looked to represent a major coup for Ittihad given that the winger is in the prime of his career.
    He scored 15 goals and assisted 12 times during a fine 2022-23 season under Ange Postecoglou at Celtic Park.
    However, Al Riyadh sports journalist Hattan Al Najjar reports that Jota has now been jettisoned from Al-Ittihad’s Saudi Premier League squad.
    Al Najjar wrote: “Jota will be excluded from the list of [Al Ittihad] professionals in the league, according to the new system.”
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    Jota has cut a peripheral figure since joining the Saudi side, playing just 133 minutes across five matches and scoring one goal.
    Jota looked to be a statement signing for Al-Ittihad after arriving alongside Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante.
    But Saudi sides are limited by the league in how many foreign players they can register and it looks like Jota has not made the cut.
    That’s because his new club want to accommodate another new signing,defender Luiz Felipe from Real Betis, who cost a reported £18.8m.
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    Al-Ittihad were heavily also linked with a move for Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, with SunSport revealing the Saudi side were prepared to bid up to £215m.
    But, Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp held firm in their desire to hold onto the Egyptian superstar.
    It is likely Al-Ittihad will return with another bid in January.
    Al-Ittihad sit third in the Saudi Pro League table, with four wins and defeat from five games.
    Their next fixture will be against Al-Akhdoud on September 14. More

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    I live next to Rangers’ Ibrox stadium, I love having a hot dog van on my doorstep – but there’s one thing I find rough

    THE crowds, the noise, the colour – and the burgers.Match day at Rangers’ Ibrox stadium brings over 50,000 fans to Govan and transforms the area for a few hours.
    Locals find it quite hectic living next to the stadium on matchdaysCredit: Steve Welsh
    The streets pile up when Rangers have a home match at the weekendCredit: Steve Welsh
    The Scottish Sun decided to speak to local residents to hear what it was like to see their surroundings change so dramatically for short spells every week or two.
    And one local, whose flat window looks directly out on the stadium, revealed she loves the convenience of nipping out for a burger or a hot dog!
    Sophia Smith also like to see so many dads enjoying special moments with their excited kids before the big game.
    But she did admit that the small number of supporters who use residential areas as urinals is “quite rough”.

    Sophia, 23, said: “When my flatmate proposed the idea to live at a flat at Ibrox when we were flat hunting I was dubious as I know a lot about Anfield and the crowds near there.
    “But it’s actually really quiet unless it is a match day.
    “On matchday it can be quite hectic as the fans use the wall as a toilet, which can be quite rough.
    “One of the things we really enjoy about living here is the hot dog stand and burgers. It’s quite nice being able to go out and get a hot dog and burger sometimes.
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    “It is really sweet when we see dads bringing their sons dressed up and take a picture of them at the wall with the stadium in the background.
    “We see this about ten times a day and it is really sweet as some people travel really far to come here.
    “My boyfriend told me he would have loved this as a wee boy after the stadium roared when a goal was scored during a film we were watching.
    “When the window is open it can sometimes shake the room. It can be quite intense.”
    Susan Packer, who lives on Copland Road, absolutely loves living in the shadow of the famous stadium – because she’s a huge Gers fan.
    Susan, 61, said: “I’m over the moon living close to Rangers. I’m a fan of the club.
    “I sometimes mingle with the fans on match days.
    “You don’t hear the noise from the stadium from my flat. I can see the stadium from my flat. It’s a pure joy.”
    However, one resident is at the end of her tether at the mess left behind after match days.
    The local, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed her husband was so furious one day that he dumped a bag of matchday rubbish on the desk of Ibrox chiefs.
    They said: “We have complained many times to the club about fans as they pee in the bushes and on the wall.
    “They use it as a urinal. It is appalling.
    “One day after match day, my husband was so furious, as there were beer bottles all over the place. He put the beer bottles in a black bin bag and walked right in and dumped it on their desks asking for something to be done.
    “They do nothing for the local community. We’ve complained about the noise and the fans being rowdy and the singing of sectarian songs.
    “It is particularly worse on Old Firm days. We’ve tried everything but nothing gets done.
    “My car got scratched by fans on match day but because the police couldn’t see it on the CCTV they couldn’t do anything.
    “We have double glazing on our windows and it has good sound proofing and we can still hear every single word.
    “Rangers can feel like they can do anything because they know the residents don’t speak out because of fear of retribution.”
    Another resident in a similar spot added: “I have been here for 14 years.
    “You have to decide if you are in or you are out on a match day.
    “We have to pencil in match days in the calendar as one time I forgot and I was trying to get home. I was stuck on the M8 for more than three hours.
    “I love it here and I don’t really want to leave but it has gotten too much that I’m thinking about moving out.
    “When the football is on forget it as you are either locked in all day or out all day until it has finished.
    “It is usually very quiet on the streets and very calm. But on match days it is very noisy and it is a nightmare to park.”
    A former resident who lived in front of Ibrox in the 90s with his wife moved out to Carnoustie for more peace so they can raise their son.
    George Gordon had come back to revisit his home 30 years later.
    He said: “When it was match days I couldn’t get parked but it was very well organised.
    “The window looked into the stadium and when people had too many drinks they would use the wall as a urinal.
    “We lived there at the height of Rangers when they had Souness and after that they just deteriorated.
    “We wanted a quiet area for our wee boy to grow up as it was quite difficult raising him with the noise of the fans.
    “It was always cleared very quickly after matches and it was always so good looking afterwards that you wouldn’t even know there had been a match on. We came back to visit our old flat.”
    Rajan Sidhu, who runs his family business near Ibrox, claims that the shop was saved by the huge Ibrox crowds.
    He said: “It boosts sales on match days. “We are not allowed to sell alcohol for people to drink as it is illegal so we are regularly watched by the police.
    “But without football we probably wouldn’t be here.“Nobody has got the money to spend due to the rise in prices but being next to the stadium helped us.
    “We have been here for over 20 years so we don’t really have much trouble with and we are respected by the fans.”
    Ali Andy, owner of a Turkish barbers, told how tipsy Gers fans joke with his staff.
    He said: “We sometimes get drunk Ranger fans passing by asking us for a free haircut but most of the time it is families and their little kids.
    “It is really nice seeing them go by with their children all kitted up for the matches. We have been invited a few times to games.
    “We don’t have much trouble from the fans on match days. We tend to close 10 minutes before games finish.
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    “On Old firm days the Celtic fans leave via the other side so we don’t see them.”
    Sophia Smith admits it can be “quite rough” living next to the stadiumCredit: Steve Welsh
    Rangers-daft Susan Packer loves living next to IbroxCredit: Steve Welsh
    George Gordon used to live in the area but moved 30 years agoCredit: Steve Welsh
    Rajan Sidhu runs his family business near the venueCredit: Steve Welsh
    Ali Andy owns a local Turkish barbers nearbyCredit: Steve Welsh
    Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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    Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers planning transfer swoop on former club Liverpool for out-of-favour star

    BRENDAN RODGERS has put Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher at the top of his Celtic wanted list.Hoops boss Rodgers is looking for a long-term replacement for Joe Hart.
    Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is keeping tabs on Liverpool ace Caoimhin KelleherCredit: Getty
    Celtic manager Rodgers is looking for reinforcement from former club LiverpoolCredit: PA
    And his sights are set firmly on the big Anfield reserve, 24.
    Republic of Ireland stopper Kelleher hoped to move this summer but missed out on a possible Premier League switch.
    However, his exit down the line remains likely.
    Celtic checked into Kelleher’s availability and were told he could not go just now, especially with fears of Arab interest in Kop keeper Alisson.
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    Liverpool would also need to find a homegrown replacement for Kelleher, so that makes it even harder to allow him to leave.
    But the chance of being Celtic No 1 for the next few years appeals to the keeper after spending so long in the shadows at Anfield.
    Meanwhile, Liverpool will try to land Brazilian midfielder Andre, 22, in the January transfer window.
    Fluminense star Andre was on their radar in the summer but the club would not go beyond £30million for him.
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    And with Andre’s side chasing domestic honours in Brazil, they were not willing to trade.
    He fits the Liverpool profile perfectly and they are prepared to hold on until the time and price are right.
    The Anfield transfer team are also working on a centre-half for NEXT summer.
    Bayer Leverkusen’s Odilon Kossounou is on the watch-list after he failed to land a move to West Ham.
    The Ivory Coast international, 22, would jump at a move to Merseyside. More

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    PSV 5 Rangers 1 (7-3 Agg) – Horror Goldson own goal caps humbling night in Eindhoven as Gers drop into Europa League

    IN the city the locals refer to as Light Town Rangers kept switching off.That’s why this became a dark night in Eindhoven.
    Connor Goldson at full timeCredit: Willie Vass
    PSV Eindhoven’s Joey Veerman celebrates the winCredit: PA
    Rangers applaud fans at full time after what was a humbling resultCredit: Willie Vass
    It’s PSV who’ll get to shine in the Champions League this season after this dazzling win.
    The Dutch club got the revenge they were looking for from last season with two goals from Ismael Saibari as well as strikes from Luuk De Jong, Joey Veerman as well as an embarrassing OG from Connor Goldson.
    Rangers’ goal from James Tavernier gave their 2000 supporters a brief cause for celebration.
    All of two minutes.

    It was just all too much for Michael Beale’s side with their dire defending at key moments seeing their £20million dream of reaching the group stages disappear.
    The reality for Rangers right now is that the Europa League is their level as they now have to wait until Friday to see who they’ll be up against in that competition.
    No-one could fault the effort they put into reaching the Champions League for the second year running.
    It wasn’t like they settled for the Europa League which was always there waiting for them as a fall-back.
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    Not that any of that took away any of the disappointment of last night. As the final whistle could be heard some Rangers players fell to their knees, shattered in every way possible.
    The travelling fans, too, looked gutted by it all.
    Beale’s line-up would have raised eyebrows among those who journeyed to the Netherlands.
    Luuk de Jong of PSV Eindhoven celebrates his priceless goalCredit: Getty
    It was a humbling scoreline at the endCredit: Willie Vass
    Rabbi Matondo looked a cert to begin the night on the bench and be the manager’s back-up plan if and when he needed him.
    But no. Matondo started ahead of Abdallah Sima.
    Clearly the goalscoring impact the Wales international made as a substitute in the first-leg at Ibrox thrust him to the forefront of Beale’s mind. 
    It was a gamble worth taking with Sima hardly pulling up trees since his arrival.
    The other change to the team that kicked off at Ibrox was the inclusion of John Lundstram which came at the expense of Ryan Jack.
    Beale’s thinking there was that the Englishman’s ball-hunting ability would bring more to the team. But that wasn’t how it panned out.

    There were encouraging signs for Rangers initially. 
    But it wasn’t long before the home side were dominant.
    Rangers became far too slack in possession in the first-half and opportunities to hit PSV on the break were wasted with painfully poor final balls.
    The Dutch side had far more composure where it mattered.
    Johan Bakayoko was a major threat on the right, Noa Lang every bit as dangerous on the left.
    Ismael Saibari of PSV Eindhoven celebrates after scoring his team’s goal for 2-0Credit: Getty
    There were close calls before PSV took the lead.
    De Jong should have scored with a back post header after 20 minutes before Jack Butland saved with his legs to keep out a shot from Saibari.
    Rangers did have a glimpse of goal around that time but Cyriel Dessers used an arm to control a brilliant long ball from Connor Goldson and pulled his effort wide anyway.
    It was that kind of night for the big striker who continues to underwhelm in a light blue jersey.
    When it came to the opener Rangers really should have defended the situation better.
    But it came during a sustained period of pressure and when Joey Veerman clipped a cross into the six yard box from the bye-line big Saibari couldn’t miss.
    Could John Souttar have moved his feet quicker? Could Nico Raskin have blocked the attacker’s run? As it was, both players will probably feel they could have done more in that key moment.
    It has gone from bad to worse for Rangers! 😬Connor Goldson passes it back past the keeper into his own net giving PSV a 5-1 lead… 😳#UCL pic.twitter.com/OdryuWeP9T— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 30, 2023

    There were 34 minutes on the clock at that point and the half-time whistle couldn’t come quickly enough for Beale’s side.
    But PSV came back out after the break with exactly the same energy and will to win.
    And just eight minutes after the restart Rangers were trailing by two.
    This time skipper De Jong did superbly to fire a back-post cross back across goal for Saibari to score his second of the night with an easy tap-in.
    It felt like game over there and then.
    But in 64 minutes Tavernier breathed new hope into Rangers chances with a poacher’s goal after sub Sam Lammers delivered a good cross to the back post.
    Suddenly the dream was back on for Rangers.
    But within just two minutes PSV had restored their two goal lead with the defending from Rangers once again not good enough.
    From a free-kick De Jong got between Lammers and Tavernier to nod the ball past Kammers.

    Even then Rangers had chances to score again and again, Matondo having one effort blocked and another one rattle the post.
    But with 12 minutes to go PSV turned the screw with Veerman firing through a crowded penalty box to make it 4-1 on the night.
    It wasn’t over yet, though, with the worse goal yet to come.
    In 81 minutes Goldson scored a horrendous own goal when he over-hit a passback to Butland.

    The sight of the ex-England No1 chasing the ball and diving into the back of his own net was just cruel.
    By the time the final whistle came the chants from the home fans rubbed salt in the wounds of the Rangers players.
    And during PSV’s on the pitch celebrations there was some anger among the Rangers side with Todd Cantwell clearly raging with something that had been said or done.
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    But by then it was all over bar the shouting.
    Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page More