Rangers outclassed by Ajax on chastening Champions League return

Where Rangers go from here in a Group A that also features Napoli and Liverpool may not be pretty. This was an ugly display featuring a defence that failed to defend and a sieve-like midfield that was an open invitation for Ajax to execute their clever pass-and-move play.

At the break the Dutch champions had enjoyed 74% of the possession. If there was a number to rate the invention of their opponents then zero would not have been unfair on Rangers, whose manager, Giovanni van Bronckhurst, seemed to have instructed them to sit as far back as possible and hope that they could somehow conjure a goal.

As the final whistle neared, Van Bronckhurst had to endure the Ajax faithful gleefully sing, “Gio, take your garbage home,” their delight surely enhanced by him being a former Feyenoord player.

At the start of the second half Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds rang out, its “don’t worry about a thing” line particularly apt for Ajax due to Rangers’ refusal to offer anything that might concern.

Had Van Bronckhurst given his charges a roasting at the interval? The way they continued to stand off Ajax suggested not. At this juncture three changes were made – Rabbi Matonda, Ryan Jack and Leon King for James Tavernier, Scott Wright and Malik Tillman as the manager shifted to a novel 5-2-3 shape. But even when Borna Barisic did find Ajax’s net later on VAR ruled (correctly) that Ryan Kent was offside.

Rangers had understood how Alfred Schreuder’s men hoped to prosper from the start: have Daley Blind or Devyne Rensch feed balls to Steven Bergwijn and Dusan Tadic further along the full-backs’ flanks and hit Mohammed Kudus, the frontman, or a midfield runner. Factor in another Steven – Berghuis – dropping into pockets and Ajax were