Rangers midfielder Steven Davis is closed down by Orlando Engelaar

By Andy Campbell

Rangers claimed a scoreless draw in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie against PSV in Eindhoven.

Marcus Berg had an effort saved by Neil Alexander and Marcelo headed wide as PSV pressed for a first-half opener.

Berg fired wide after the break and PSV keeper Andreas Isaksson saved well from Kyle Bartley's header for the visitors.

And Marcelo missed the game's best opportunity when he headed wide with the goal at his mercy midway through the second half.

The sides meet again in next Thursday's return leg at Ibrox where a win for either side would send them through, while a score draw would give the Dutch side an away goals victory.

Rangers made a surprise change in goal with regular first-choice Allan McGregor dropped to the bench and Alexander starting while there were also places in the line-up for youngster Kyle Hutton and the returning Kyle Lafferty, back after illness. John Fleck and David Healy joined McGregor on the bench.

The PSV line-up featured former Aston Villa defender Wilfred Bouma and striker Marcus Berg, the on-loan Hamburg striker who scored against Celtic for his parent club in last season's Europa League.

Alexander had his hands on the ball early on as he collected a couple of PSV crosses but his first real save came in the 16th minute when he raced off his line to gather at the feet of Berg, who had run on to Ola Toivonen's incisive pass.

Balazs Dzsudzsak and Jeremain Lens also had efforts but neither player was able to test the visitors' goal.

El Hadji Diouf assumed the lone striker role for Rangers and often looked isolated in the first half as Walter Smith's men struggled to retain the ball in attacking areas.

PSV should have gone ahead in the 37th minute when Dzsudzsak's free-kick was flicked on by the shoulder of Lens and Marcelo rose at the back post only to plant his header wide.

McGregor was left on the bench for the clash in Eindhoven

Rangers had a couple of corners towards the end of the first half but poor deliveries allowed the Dutch side to clear their lines.

The visitors showed more attacking impetus at the start of the second period as right-back Richard Foster burst across field and down the left before his cross was nervously cleared out for a corner by Orlando Engelaar.

And, from Diouf's delivery, David Weir's head-flick could not find a team-mate.

Toivonen and Berg combined well again to put the latter through on goal soon after but the striker's fierce shot flew past the far post.

Stanislav Manolev went down in the Rangers box after being closed down by Bartley but Swedish referee Martin Hansson told the PSV midfielder to get back on his feet.

Bartley was then in the thick of the action at the other end, running to the near post to head Diouf's corner towards goal but Isaksson made an excellent save.

Rangers kept up the pressure and Steven Whittaker flashed a shot wide from outside the box.

Dzsudzsak's swirling free-kick from the right curved over Alexander's crossbar.

Berg was almost through on goal again after Toivonen slipped a pass in behind the Rangers defence but the forward's touch was poor and Bartley got back to usher the ball back to Alexander.

Diouf was withdrawn and Vladimir Weiss was sent on, meaning Lafferty was pushed up from the left to lead the Rangers attack before Danny Koevermans replaced Berg for the hosts.

Marcelo headed wide from an even more inviting position than his chance in the first half after rising unchallenged to meet Dzsudzsak's inswinging cross.

Lafferty picked up the tie's first booking for felling Lens as both players cantered over the halfway line.

The Northern Ireland forward was soon withdrawn but not before spinning on the edge of the box to fire a shot wide, Gregg Wylde sent on for a final 10 minutes in which Rangers held firm.

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