Hapless Rangers were served a brutal dose of Champions League reality as their return to the big time was blown apart by rampant Ajax.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst 's toiling side have now shipped eight goals in their last 180 minutes of football as a weekend pummelling from Celtic was compounded by another disastrous 4-0 defeat in Amsterdam. Rangers' reputation as European specialists took a serious battering thanks to goals from Edson Alvarez, Steven Berghuis, Mohammed Kudus and Steven Bergwijn. As it was at Celtic Park on Saturday, Rangers were dead and buried by half-time.
An Ajax side containing Calvin Bassey simply had too much for an Ibrox side who look devoid of the spirit and quality which carried them all the way to last season's Europa League final. Those heady days will feel like a distant memory now for the travelling contingent who forked out for a trip to the Netherlands to witness their club's return to UEFA's top table for the first time in over a decade. They will return home fearful of what may now lie ahead with Liverpool and Napoli still to come.
As the fixture schedule unfolded in recent weeks, a trip to Aberdeen was very much the lesser light of a triple header that also involved Celtic and Ajax. But now? It feels absolutely monumental for the future of Van Bronckhorst's tenure.
The biggest team-sheet talking point came right at the very top, with the Rangers boss refusing to bow to pressure to drop Jon McLaughlin and reinstate Allan McGregor. But given what transpired in front of the much-maligned keeper in the opening 20 minutes, it quickly felt like a moot point. McLaughlin's outfield team-mates simply couldn't get near the Eredivisie champions for large spells, such was the pace and precision of their passing.
The inevitable opener, when it did arrive, was actually frustratingly simple from Rangers' point of view. Van Bronckhorst's side have been ropey from set-pieces so far this season and they made it far too easy for Alvarez to drift in and head Daley Blind's corner beyond a helpless McLaughlin.
A few opportunistic forays over the halfway line aside, Rangers were chasing shadows. Ajax 's movement was putting blue heads in a spin and it was little surprise, amid the confusion, when Berghuis' low shot deflected off James Sands' outstretched leg to wrong-foot McLaughlin.
A two-goal cushion was just reward for their efforts but Ajax were not for relenting. Indeed, the best was yet to come as Kudus motored away from James Tavernier before unleashing an unstoppable drive that tore past McLaughlin and crashed in off the inside of the post.
It could've been more before the interval, but for a couple of smart stops from McLaughlin. Van Bronckhorst's response to the carnage he'd just watched unfold was to make three changes, hauling off Scott Wright, Malik Tillman and even Tavernier for Ryan Jack, Leon King and Rabbi Matondo.
But it made little difference to the outcome. Rangers were less open but Ajax had a three-goal cushion to take their foot off the gas somewhat, and they appeared content to manage the game to a relatively muted conclusion.
Borna Barisic thought he'd at least got Rangers on the scoresheet as he stepped inside onto his right-foot and curled a sumptuous effort into the top corner from the edge of the box - but VAR denied the Croatian due to Ryan Kent drifting offside in the build-up.
It prompted a wry smile from Barisic, who shook his head in resignation. The fans who'd made the trip across the continent, though, would soon trudge back into the city with little to smile about themselves, wondering how their side recover from a second dismantling in a matter of days.
it would get worse before the end, too, when Jack's slack pass was ruthlessly punished by Bergwijn, as he rounded McLaughlin to add insult to injury with a fourth.
Welcome back to the Champions League
Events at Celtic Park over the weekend undoubtedly tempered what should have been a joyous few days of build-up for Rangers fans in preparation for their long-awaited return to the biggest of stages. And while that anguish is very much justified, there was still hope that a group who had gone to the well so many times in Europe already could turn things around.
After all, this evening was the culmination of a decade-long struggle for Rangers to put themselves back on the map and the natural next step to what has been a rapid improvement on the continent over recent seasons. Indeed, in an alternate universe they would be arriving for this first stage group stage outing as Europa League winners.
But this was a stark reminder that you simply cannot stand still in elite football. From the position Rangers found themselves in Seville just a few short months ago, it's hard to argue they've taken any forward strides. The reasons for that are myriad, but the lesson is there's no point fighting so hard to return to this stage only to show up ill-equipped for it.
What's up with Tav?
When the pre-match team-sheets emerged, it appeared sticking with McLaughlin over Allan McGregor would be Van Bronckhorst's most notable decision of the night. But then he whipped off his captain at the break.
It's been an auspicious start to the campaign for the Rangers skipper but to see him taken off was a considerable surprise. That being said, the reason for the sub was not immediately clear and it could be that the 30-year-old has picked up an injury.
There's been speculation online that Tavernier has been playing through an issue and if, indeed, he is injured then it's yet more bad news for Van Bronckhorst. Given current form, lack of experienced depth at right-back and an already extensive injury list, Rangers can ill-afford to be without Tavernier for any length of time.
Set-piece woes speak to bigger issues
There was frailty all over the Rangers team tonight but nowhere moreso than at set-pieces. It's been a theme of their season to date and a puzzling one for a side that prided itself on its organisation and general knack for being hard to beat in last season's Europa League.
Alvarez had the freedom of Amsterdam to head in the opener and the goal set the tone for what quickly became a limp surrender. What started as a relatively minor issue in some routine domestic wins early in the campaign, however, is now speaking to a greater malaise in Van Bronckhorst's set up.
Rangers had no clue how to handle Celtic at the weekend and it quickly became a similar story in the Netherlands. Schreuder's incredibly sharp side just had far too much for their Group A counterparts and it showed, in brutal fashion.
Ferocious Ajax
Every Ajax-related headline over the summer appeared to be news of another departure from their ranks, with the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Sebastian Haller and Antony among those were sold. Alfred Schreuder made a raft of additions to replace them but his Ajax have the look of a side who have been playing together for years.
The Dutch champions were as slick as they come and this was a devastating display of their attacking firepower. As poor as Rangers were, make no mistake that the Amsterdam outfit look a proper team.
At the moment, you'd make them and Liverpool favourites to progress to the knockout stage.
Where to from here?
It's hard to overstate just how damaging the past few days could be for Rangers. An absolute drubbing at Celtic didn't quite extinguish the belief that they remain a handy outfit on the European stage.
But the Rangers who stepped into another hammering this evening were unrecognisable to the side that were an Aaron Ramsey penalty away from winning continental silverware just a few short months ago.
It begs the question, where does Van Bronckhorst go from here? Celtic are already threatening to disappear over the horizon in the Premiership title race, he has a number of players unavailable, others are badly off-form and they look some way off competing with the Champions League elite.
