THE familiar strains of Zadoc the Priest blared out over the public address system at Ibrox for the first time since 2010 before Rangers took on PSV Eindhoven tonight.
The George Frideric Handel anthem is synonymous with the Champions League, a competition which the home support have long yearned to return to, and its airing was greeted rapturously.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side, though, have much work to do if it is to be heard by their followers again in the coming season after being held to a draw in the first leg of the play-off.
Rangers have never lost in the Philips Stadium, where the second leg will be played a week tomorrow, in three previous visits.
If they can triumph again at the difficult venue they will progress to the group stages. However, they will need to be far more ruthless up front and organised at the back, at set pieces especially, than they were tonight to record the away win they require to go through.
Van Bronckhorst’s charges responded well after falling behind to Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men in the first-half.
They levelled quickly through Antonio Colak and took the lead somewhat fortuitously when Tom Lawrence netted a long-range free-kick in the second. They could, though, have no complaints about the scoreline at the end of the 90 minutes.
Their rivals will fancy their chances on their own turf. The Europa League finalists will have to reproduce the form they showed during their run to Seville earlier this year to join the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid in the tournament proper.
The Rangers starting line-up was surprising. Steven Davis was preferred to both Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack in the midfield. The Northern Ireland internationalist is a vastly-experienced European campaigner and could be counted on not to be fazed by the quality of opponent he was facing. But he had only featured in one match this season.
Perhaps Van Bronckhorst felt that Davis would be better placed to nullify the threat posed by Joey Veerman, supply the forwards with quality service and protect his backline. He was deployed alongside John Lundstram in a 4-2-3-1 formation and more than justified his selection.
James Sands retained his place at centre half alongside Connor Goldson in the absence of Ben Davies, Filip Helander and John Souttar. The United States internationalist had, unsurprisingly given his lack of game time in the position, gifted Royale Union Saint-Gilloise possession on several occasions seven days earlier. But the PSV front line was far more formidable.
When Luuk De Jong muscled his way in front of Goldson and got on the end of a delivery into the Rangers six yard box in the third minute it was an early indication the Dutch visitors were superior to their previous adversaries.
Neither goalkeeper was seriously tested during tentative early exchanges. With so much riding on success, with the winners being rewarded with a £40m pay day, with the tension inside the stadium palpable, both teams took a cautious approach.
Rangers finally got an attempt on target in the 22nd minute when Davis squared to Malik Tillman, operating in his preferred berth just behind lone front man Colak, on the edge of the PSV area. The midfielder shot straight at Walter Benitez. Still, the passage of play lifted the crowd.
There were appeals for a penalty shortly after that when Goldson got his head on the end of a James Tavernier corner. The defender, and most of those inside the ground, were convinced that Jordan Teze had handled. But Italian referee Daniele Orsato was adamant it had struck his chest and a VAR check confirmed his suspicions.
The game came to life following a period of sustained PSV pressure. Goldson was unable to head clear a Gakpo corner in the 36th minute and Teze laid the ball off to Sangare. His team mate slotted just inside the left post.
The goal celebrations just in front of the BF1 section of the Broomloan Road Stand saw cups and coins being hurled in their direction. Another UEFA fine may well be forthcoming in the coming days.
Rangers levelled just four minutes later with a well-worked attack involving Lawrence, Davis and Tavernier. The latter picked out Colak who struck a sweet first-time attempt beyond Benitez and into the bottom left corner of the net. It was the striker’s fourth in as many games.
Tavernier nearly put the home side in front just before half-time when he rose well and met a Borna Barisic cross. Benitez denied him and also did well to get a hand to a Colak effort which the forward struck from an acute angle early in the second-half.
The early nervousness had disappeared. PSV responded well and Ismael Saibari went close on three separate occasions.
Tillman made a mazy run through the middle of the park. But he tried his luck when he got into range of goal when Ryan Kent was screaming for a pass just outside him. There will need to be a significant improvement in decision making in the final third next week.
Rangers’ second in the 70th minute was the result of a shocking error by Benitez. He allowed a Lawrence free-kick from fully 30 yards out to slip through his fingers. The wet conditions did not help the keeper. But it was a bad mistake.
Van Bronckhorst put on Scott Wright for Tillman and Kamara for Davis. But His team conceded at another Gakpo corner with 12 minutes remaining. Armando Obispo made no mistake.
