Rangers needed a hero in Eindhoven. Neither the man of the moment or an established performer could rise to the task and the Champions League occasion.
It was a night where Rangers had more villains. Individual mistakes culminated in Ismael Saibari scoring twice and Luuk de Jong netting for the second time in the tie to put it beyond Rangers.
A Joey Veerman effort and calamitous own goal from Connor Goldson rounded off a miserable occasion as PSV Eindhoven ended one European dream for Michael Beale. Rangers got what they deserved and wounds will have to be licked ahead of the visit of Celtic on Sunday.
Rangers will pick up on the continent in the Europa League. History wasn’t repeated in Holland as the goals from Abdallah Sima and Rabbi Matondo at Ibrox, and a James Tavernier effort here, proved to be in vain.
Beale put his faith in a handful of those that he inherited at Ibrox and many of those that he has recruited in the months since. In terms of Matondo, he had earned his crack at Peter Bosz’s side.
The fact that Matondo was even in the squad, never mind in the side, was quite something. This is, after all, a player that few supporters would have been disappointed to have seen leave Ibrox as part of Beale’s rebuilding job over the course of the summer.
There was a time earlier in the window when Matondo was deemed surplus to requirements and he would have been allowed to depart had a suitable offer been made. That phone call never arrived at Ibrox and Matondo has made the most of his reprieve, fighting his way back from the brink to an evening when he was trusted in the biggest game of Beale’s managerial career.
Matondo spoke ahead of the Viaplay Cup win over Morton – the match that saw him make his first start of the season – and was honest about his failings in his first campaign. He highlighted patience and determination as key mental attributes that he had to show.
Matondo would not have envisaged being on this stage during the most difficult times of his first term. Indeed, he seemed as far away as ever when he had to watch the win over Servette from a distance. A couple of weeks on, here he was striding out at the Philips Stadion.
His individual battle with Jordan Teze was one of the most interesting of the evening. Just four minutes in, Matondo spun smartly on the touchline and earned a free-kick.
That moment almost encapsulated his fortunes. It was a phase of play that gave Rangers encouragement but one that – like when he had the chance to get in behind just seconds later – ultimately came to nothing for Beale’s side.
Jose Cifuentes was the guilty party on that occasion as he was unable to find Matondo with his pass. Borna Barisic made the same mistake as too much was asked of the man that was playing ahead of him on the left flank and Nicolas Raskin’s inability to cut open the Dutch defence also cost the visitors.
Rangers had started with purpose but not enough poise. Cifuentes tucked in from the right and Matondo provided the only natural width from middle to front as Cyriel Dessers was an isolated figure through the middle.
Matondo had the pace to get the better of Teze but his touch or his decision making let him down too often. A pinpoint diagonal from Goldson gave him the chance one-on-one but he couldn’t capitalise as the opening was spurned without PSV ever being worried.
The final seconds of the first half saw Matondo and Teze match up once again. As had been the case throughout the opening period, it was a chink of light that quickly closed and Rangers were staring at the Europa League as they trailed at the interval to Saibari’s header.
By the time Matondo got his first shot away – at the end of Rangers’ best move of the match – it already looked like being too late. Rangers had failed to enforce themselves as an attacking presence and another catalogue of errors had allowed Saibari to double the Dutch lead.
Their deficiencies in their own area were alarming. Tavernier gave his side hope but Rangers shot themselves in the foot, again, within seconds as De Jong headed home and another inquest that would find many culprits began.
Matondo had two chances in a couple of minutes. Teze matched the Welshman stride for stride and made a terrific block before keeper Walter Benitez was left stranded as Matondo’s quick feet and curling effort ended with the ball striking the post.
In the grand scheme of things, those chances proved to be irrelevant. Rangers hadn’t been potent or clinical enough in the final third, but it was their failings at the other end that had undermined their Champions League bid as Beale’s side were simply outclassed in Eindhoven.
Beale had trusted his players to do the job. He will hope that the faith from supporters hasn’t been damaged too much by a defeat that simply spiralled out of control.
The Old Firm provides another chance for a hero to stand tall. For very different reasons, Beale needs someone to come to the fore at Ibrox.
