GLASGOW: Rangers’ hopes of successive seasons in the Champions League group stages remain in the balance after they cleaved out a tense playoff first leg draw with PSV Eindhoven at a boisterous Ibrox.

Michael Beale asked his side to give themselves a platform for the second leg in the Netherlands and, although they lacked refinement at times, shovelfuls of endeavour kept them in the tie.

A tense Ibrox erupted with joy just before the interval when Abdallah Sima shaped in a splendid opener. But that hard-fought advantage would not last, Ibrahim Sangare benefiting from an outrageous Ismael Saibari stepover to thud in on the hour.

When substitute Rabbi Matondo slapped Cyriel Dessers’s teasing delivery into the net, it seemed that Rangers might have a priceless lead to take in their luggage but, just like 12 months ago, the first leg would finish 2-2.

Four minutes after Matondo’s strike, Luk de Jong soared to divert a towering header and ensure these sides will reconvene for a second leg in Eindhoven with both eyeing a place on the biggest stage.

Rangers edged it last year thanks to Antoni Colak’s solitary goal, before going on to endure an utterly chastening campaign against Napoli, Liverpool and Ajax.

But to give themselves the opportunity to right some of the wrongs of the worst group stage return in the competition’s history, the Scottish Premiership side will need to show more next Wednesday.

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