Ravenous Rangers salvage pride from the pain on Champions League night of redemption - Keith Jackson's big match verdict

There's a world of difference between a savage beating and an unspeakably cruel one. Unfortunately for Rangers, they’ve now experienced it all inside a fortnight.

After the spineless capitulations that brought their manager to a point of crisis, last night they produced a performance of heroic proportions – only to end up bloodied and bruised all over again. Where they had been pitiful against Celtic and Ajax, here they were at their most powerful.

Where they had lacked stomach for the fight, this time they were ravenous. And even when reduced to 10 men against the giants of Napoli, they mustered up something bordering on the astonishing as returning keeper Allan McGregor stopped two penalties before finally being beaten by a third in quick succession. Two late goals rubbed salt into the wounds, adding to the stinging sense of injustice. Of course, it won’t matter much in terms of this group campaign. With no points from a possible six, Rangers are already in need of snookers.

But in the greater scheme of things this was a night of redemption, nonetheless, for a team and their manager. Given his own credibility was on the line after two 4-0 defeats, Giovanni van Bronckhorst ’s team selection was the subject of considerable intrigue.

That not one of his summer signings made the cut for a match of such significance represented another damning indictment of the club’s scattergun recruitment policy. As, for that matter, did two midfield men in John Lundstram and James Sands having to be deployed on either side of Connor Goldson in a three-man defence with an affliction to dealing with cross balls.

While the manager was reverting to tried and tested at this moment of maximum peril, he was also taking an undoubted punt by