Rangers 3-0 Union Saint-Gilloise (agg 3-2): Van Bronckhorst hails ‘hugely important’ Ibrox crowd

Rangers will meet PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League play-off round after their comeback victory over Union Saint-Gilloise

Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst praised the importance of the Rangers crowd as they again played a key role in European success at Ibrox.

The Dutchman’s side were tasked with overturning a two-goal deficit against Union Saint-Gilloise to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

With a sell-out crowd roaring them on, Rangers went on to stun the Belgian visitors in a 3-0 second-leg victory.

“They are very important for us,” Van Bronckhorst said of the Ibrox support.

“Everywhere we go, we have a great support, at home even more so. Once we feel the support, we translate that passion to the pitch and it creates an atmosphere like that.”

Prior to kick-off, the Rangers boss called for a “big performance” from his side after last week’s abject first-leg defeat in Belgium left the Ibrox club’s Champions League group stage ambitions hanging by a thread.

Van Bronckhorst’s players delivered on their manager’s demands by blowing away Union after a first-half penalty by James Tavernier was followed by close-range headers from Antonio Colak and Malik Tillman after the break.

The Dutchman drew similarities to the raucous atmospheres created throughout last season’s remarkable run to the Europa League final while also heaping praise on his team for the “passion, desire and fire” the team played with.

“We needed a big performance and the pressure was on us after last week,” Van Bronckhorst added. “We know we are capable of delivering big nights for the club, but still you have to do it over and over again.

“That’s why I am so proud of my players.”

‘Dynamic changes’ in PSV tie

PSV Eindhoven, who edged past Monaco 4-3 on aggregate, now stand between Rangers and a place in the Champions League groups.

On paper, the Dutch side undoubtedly pose a bigger threat than Union, and with the first leg to be played at Ibrox next week, former Rangers striker Kenny Miller believes that “changes the dynamic” of the tie.

With only one exception during Rangers’ run to the Europa League final last season, they benefitted from playing at home in the return leg of the knockout stage as they overcame deficits against Braga and RB Leipzig on their way to the showpiece occasion in Seville.

But Van Bronckhorst’s men will not benefit from that phycological advantage in their play-off tie with PSV.

“Even with Rangers coming back to Ibrox, they just have this belief they can overturn it,” Miller said on BBC Sportsound. “They trust the fans will turn up in their thousands and give a backing and energy to them that’s going to carry them forward. You feed off that as a player.”

Ex-Ibrox defender Richard Foster added: “Rangers just need to add a little bit more defensive aggression away from home. You would hate for your away record to curtail any chance of you getting to the group stage.

“They’re going to face a better side so they need to be able to go away form home and produce close to what they did [on Tuesday] if they’re going to have a chance.

“I can’t see them going away from home and overturning a one or two-goal deficit, so they need to get a positive result next week and keep themselves in the tie.”