IN their final game, the final insult.
Rangers’ class of 2022 are officially the worst in Champions League history.
For a decade, Dinamo Zagreb held that dubious honour.
After the 3-1 defeat to Ajax, it’s Gers who must now shoulder the burden of shame.
The manner in which it all unfolded just seemed to set the seal on what’s been a catastrophic campaign.
Two goals scored, a whopping 22 conceded and no points to show after six games.
The ecstasy of Eindhoven – when Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side secured a return to the group stages after an absence of 12 years – seems like a lifetime ago.
They’ve found dining at European football’s top table anything but a palatable experience with Ajax, Napoli and Liverpool taking it in turns to chew them up and spit them out.
Ending as they did with a goal difference of -20, Gers’ humiliation was complete as they took ownership of that unwanted piece of history.
James Tavernier’s late penalty had given them hope they might yet avoid it.
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But just 60 seconds after the Rangers captain found the net, Ajax raced downfield with Francisco Conceição compounding the Ibrox side’s misery with a third for the visitors.
With so much riding on the outcome, the last thing van Bronckhorst needed was an injury crisis.
But that, coupled with John Lundstram’s suspension, is exactly what he had.
Missing four centre halves – Connor Goldson, John Souttar, Ben Davies and Fil Helander – the Gers boss deployed the make-shift pairing of Leon King and James Sands.
A total of ten players were unavailable on a night when he needed his first choice XI.
Instead, Rangers were down to the bare bones.
In comparison, the Dutch were pretty much at full strength with Calvin Bassey back at Ibrox for the first time following his £23million summer move.
Alfred Schreuder’s side were also backed by a boisterous travelling support, meaning that by the time the teams emerged from the tunnel the atmosphere was electric.
How they rated
RANGERS: Allan McGregor 6, James Tavernier 5, Leon King 5, James Sands 5, Borna Barisic 5, Steven Davis 5, Scott Arfield 5, Malik Tillman 4, Fashion Sakala 5, Antonio Colak 4.
SUBS: Glen Kamara 3, Alfredo Morelos 2, Scott Wright 2, Alex Lowry 2, Rabbi Matondo 3.
Van Bronckhorst went 4-2-3-1, with Scott Arfield and Steven Davis asked to provide cover for the back four.
In attack, Antonio Colak was given the nod ahead of Alfredo Morelos.
Rangers had to keep it tight – instead they got off to the worst possible start, a goal down inside four minutes.
James Tavernier was napping, done by Dušan Tadić’s clever ball inside.
The cross picked out Mohammed Kudus whose clever lay off found Steven Berghuis completely unmarked.
King perhaps thought Allan McGregor was going to claim it – nonetheless, it was a wonderful finish to beat the Rangers keeper.
Berghuis then tried a chip from distance, but McGregor saw it all the way.
After such a torrid opening, Rangers actually settled for a spell.
Ryan Kent got to the bye-line, cutting the ball back for Fashion Sakala.
His header was cleared off the line by Bassey.
But just when it looked as though Gers mind find a way back into the game, they hit self destruct.
Just before the half hour, Davis played a crazy pass across the face of his own goal.
It sold Arfield short and it forced McGregor into another smart save.
Van Bronckhorst’s side couldn’t keep a hold of the ball and in the next passage of play, Ajax worked it quickly to Kudus who had his back to goal.
The striker turned well, his shot taking a heavy deflection off King and past McGregor.
Three minutes later, Steven Bergwijn forced McGregor into a stunning one handed save.
With ten minutes of the first half left, Rangers were hanging on.
Everytime Ajax broke it seemed they would score – the Dutch flashing a further two chances just past the post.
The half-time whistle couldn’t come quickly enough.
Rangers were heading for the ignominy of a record no one wants and the fans who jeered them from the field knew it.
Van Bronckhorst resisted the temptation to make changes at the break.
Those sent back out had to find something, from somewhere.
They’d sat off the Dutch, allowing them to play in the pockets.
There needed to be more aggression and more purpose in possession.
It had all been too easy for Ajax who hadn’t shifted out of second gear.
With 55 minutes gone, VAR ruled out a third goal for the visitors.
Devyne Rensch had just strayed offside before picking out Kudus who fired past McGregor from close range.
It was a major let off for a Gers side carved open again.
Glen Kamara, Scott Wright and Morelos were all introduced on the hour.
Ajax continued to play keep-ball.
Aside from a ten minute spell in the first half, Rangers had spent the night chasing shadows.
The Dutch had delivered yet another painful lesson at this level.
Tavernier floated a free-kick straight into the arms of Remko Pasveer with 66 minutes gone.
It was the first save the Ajax keeper had had to make all night.
He was called into action again not long after, tipping over a superb Arfield volley that was heading for the top corner.
A crazy ending followed with Gers sub Rabbi Matondo winning a spot-kick for Gers three minutes from the end.
Tavernier stepped up to score and for a brief moment it seemed Gers wouldn’t be out on their own as the worst in group stage history.
But Conceição’s strike a minute later changed all that – compounding Rangers’ misery at the end of a campaign to forget.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
