Rangers beat PSV Eindhoven to secure Champions League football

Antonio Colak scored the winner as Rangers beat PSV Eindhoven 1-0 to reach the Champions League for the first time in 12 years.

After a 2-2 draw against the Dutch side in the first leg of the play-off at Ibrox last week, another absorbing encounter was played out in the Philips Stadium.

In a game that swung to and fro at times, Colak tapped into the empty net on the hour mark for his fifth goal in six matches before the Light Blues held out for a 3-2 aggregate win.

The Croatia striker had scored twice to help loan side Malmo knock Rangers out of the Champions League qualifiers last season but he repaid his current employers and then some following his move from PAOK as his side made it to the promised land for the first time since 2010.

Rangers and Celtic will be in Thursday’s Champions League draw for the first time since 2007/08.

Most of the pre-match discussion and debate was about the absence of Alfredo Morelos but in-form Colak, who has been keeping the Colombia striker on the bench, led the line again.

The visitors showed one change from the first leg with midfielder Glen Kamara in for Steve Davis.

PSV boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, a former Netherlands team-mate of Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, kept the same team from Glasgow.

The Rangers boss revealed a request for the kick-off to be put back after PSV fans had surrounded Rangers’ team bus and delayed them getting into the ground was rebuffed.

The raucous home fans enjoyed the early stages where the Dutch side looked slick and confident.

However, Rangers steadied and, in a 13th-minute break, attacker Ryan Kent had a drive saved by keeper PSV keeper Walter Benitez.

The Light Blues grew in confidence and in the 25th minute, after an assured build-up, Malik Tillman set up