Walter Smith: Rangers Face ‘Very Difficult’ Test Against PSV Eindhoven

Rangers manager Walter Smith concedes his side face a ‘very difficult’ test in Europa League, after Maurice Edu late goal set up a last 16 meeting with Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.

Having seen El-Hadji Diouf net his first goal for the club after 20 minutes, Rangers were pegged back by former midfielder Pedro Mendes on the stroke of half time.

And with the match seemingly destined for extra time, Yannick Djalo struck what appeared to be the winner, before US international Edu snatched a late goal to send Rangers through on away goals, to face the current Dutch leaders.

“We now play PSV and they have beaten a very good Lille side who are top of the French League. Indeed PSV are top of the Dutch league so it will clearly be very difficult,” Smith told reporters after the match.

“With the number of games we have it would be difficult. Our circumstances at the club are a lot different from a few years ago. So it would be difficult to do it again.

“We will have to wait and see how it affects out season but we never consider Europe an inconvenience and we are pleased to have got through.”

He continued: “It’s important for Scottish clubs that our coefficient is improved and we get it as high as we possibly can.”

Reflecting on the match itself, Smith admitted that he felt his side started slowly in Portugal, and the former Scotland head coach criticized his side’s defending in the build-up to Sporting’s opening goal.

“There were very few opportunities in the game and we were disappointed with the goal we lost. With our height at the back we should have handled it better when the ball came in but it broke to the edge of the box and gave Sporting their equalizer,” he said.

“We lost another one in the second half but we came back again at the death to go through so the lads deserve a lot of credit.”

“But we are obviously pleased to get through,” he added.

“I felt we started slowly but then we managed to get a goal through El-Hadji Diouf. Sporting were the better side for the remainder of the first half and got a goal back.

“There was not much between the sides in the second half but the away goals rule worked in our favor.”