PSV can be beaten at home, but Rangers DRASTICALLY need to improve…

So just what are Rangers up against v PSV next week? Obviously we know the side we’ve just faced at Ibrox, but the reality of the stats and record is what counts, and when it comes to PSV at home, Ajax, AZ (Eredivisie) and Leicester (Conference League) have all gone to the Philips Stadion and won this calendar year.

So they are most definitely beatable. Copenhagen drew there as well but that’s moot because we need the win, of which they’ve managed 11, with those 4 other results. So it’s P15, W11.

So, PSV can definitely be beaten on their own turf, but the problem is Rangers, in Europe, are absolutely horrendous on our travels.

Aside Borussia Dortmund (minus Haaland, of course) Rangers have not won away in Europe since February in 2021 v Antwerp on our route to Seville, relying on a strong home record to pretty much win every European two-legged affair.

In fact of the last 24 away matches in the Europa League group stage or beyond, we’ve only won 4.

In qualifying it’s much better, 5 of 12 are wins, but UEL qualifying is a gigantic drop down from UCL qualifying so it’s a touch immaterial.

So, what we are saying is while PSV are there to be taken, Rangers will still have to MASSIVELY improve our travelling form at this sort of level – if the shocking performance in Belgium is a clue, we may have our work cut out to do that.

We’ve also spoken about Gio’s own Euro record away from home. It’s horrific. He has only won a single 90 minutes away from home in Europe as a manager – v Dortmund. He lost everything as Feyenoord manager on his travels bar two draws.

So the patterns and omens are… well…. mixed.

Gio is rotten away from home, and Rangers in the UEL group stage and higher aren’t much better, BUT PSV are beatable at home, and aren’t immune.

If our boss can do his homework, learn from his past errors and the side shows up, a win is possible.

But it will take a mammoth effort.

Mind you, we’d expect no less.