So much for Ibrox intimidation as Liverpool run riot at Rangers

Jürgen Klopp had never experienced Ibrox before but thought it best, having watched enough Old Firm games down the years, to remind his players that Rangers would be a different proposition with a ferocious support at their backs to the team that walked meekly to defeat at Anfield. And so it proved, at least for 45 minutes, until a reminder of the brilliance of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino ensured the only sound heard from those home fans left inside the stadium at the final whistle were boos.

The pair led a rout that was condensed into 32 second‑half minutes – the time it took from Firmino sweeping Liverpool ahead to the moment VAR awarded their seventh goal to Harvey Elliott. In between there was the quickest hat-trick in Champions League history from Salah – timed at six minutes and 12 seconds – as Liverpool condemned Rangers to the heaviest home defeat in their proud history. So much for Ibrox intimidation. Even the pathetic attempts by a small number of enraged Rangers supporters to charge at Liverpool’s fans after the game were laughed at by the away section.

Liverpool had impressed when overcoming Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team at Anfield last week, only for defeat to follow five days later at Arsenal when the inconsistencies that have plagued their season were laid bare again. Klopp will be desperately hoping the pattern is not repeated when Manchester City visit on Sunday.

Confidence has been one of several issues for his team. If it is not improved by inflicting a record defeat on Rangers, by the sight of Firmino back-heeling an assist to Darwin Núñez or Salah scoring freely from open play once more, even the Liverpool manager may be out of answers on that score.

The first half at Ibrox will have