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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Mark Walker

Dutch hero questions PSV Champions League credentials with 'team like Rangers' remark

Dutch World Cup legend Willy van de Kerkhof reckons PSV Eindhoven don't deserve to be in the Champions League if they can't beat a team like Rangers.

Michael Beale's side travel to the Netherlands next week to face PSV in the play-offs with the tie balanced after a 2-2 first leg draw.

But former PSV and Dutch international van de Kerkhof - who played in two World Cup Finals for the Netherlands in 1974 and 1978 - reckons PSV will complete the job in Eindhoven.

He said: "If PSV don't qualify against a team like Rangers, then they have no right to be in the group stages of the Champions League.

"I think the fact they have the weekend off will help the players because they should never have lost two goals in Glasgow.

"They need to cut out the mistakes. Jordan Teze in particular had a poor evening. Peter Bosz says there is a lot more to come from him, but I am curious to know what it is.

"PSV were punished for their mistakes by Rangers. They have a lack of quality defensively and they need reinforcements.

"But really they should be able to finish off Rangers next week at home. There is no excuse not to."

Meanwhile, PSV star Joey Veerman has slated Rangers' approach to the Champions League play-off clash insisting his side were dominant.

Gers attacker Abdallah Sima curled in a terrific first-leg opener just before the interval but the Dutch side levelled through midfielder Ibrahim Sangare just after the hour mark.

As play raced from end to end, substitute Rabbi Matondo scored his first Light Blues goal in the 76th minute before PSV captain Luuk de Jong levelled with a header four minutes later, and the match ended in a repeat of last year’s score at the same stage of the competition.

Veerman was disappointed that his side will not be taking a lead back to Eindhoven, but he is still confident that they will get the job done next week.

He explained: “We had the ball for 90 minutes - maybe after the first fifteen minutes we controlled the game. We had opportunities, but not real opportunities.

"That is becoming a repetitive story, we are not just one man in the sixteen. We have many players who would like to have the ball, but too little going forward. We have to work on that.

"Rangers shoot balls into the stands throughout the game."

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