It's been a tough Champions League campaign for Rangers and it ended with a whimper as Ajax ran out comfortable winners at Ibrox.
The Dutch champions arrived in Govan with little to play for having crashed out of contention for the knockout stage after defeats to Napoli and Liverpool, but they comfortably claimed third spot in Group A ahead of the Ibrox men who finished the campaign without a point. Under pressure Giovanni van Bronckhorst couldn't inspire a final flurry from his side to leave their mark on Europe's elite after a 12 year wait for the Ibrox fans to be back among the big boys.
It leaves means Rangers finish without a point, and have overtaken Dinamo Zagreb as the worst Champions League group stage performers ever with a return of just one goal and a goal difference of -20 from their six consecutive defeats. It's been a sobering season in Europe for the club, but can any of their star men secure pass marks despite Ajax 's dominance?
Here's Record Sport's Scott Burns with his verdict on how the men in light blue fared as they brought the curtain down on a tough continental campaign.
ALLAN McGREGOR: The veteran keeper could do very little with the goals. If it hadn’t been for his agility then the scoreline would have been even bigger. 6
JAMES TAVERNIER: The captain hasn’t had the same level of success he had in last season’s Europa League. He was again caught out defensively for the goals. Did net the penalty. 6
JAMES SANDS: The American is probably not a centre back but it has been a case of needs must. Tried hard but was too often left exposed. 6
LEON KING: The young defender has been one of the successes of this competition, although it has been a tough night for him. He was also unlucky as he tried to clear the second goal and headed it into the net. 6
BORNA BARISIC: The left-back never really got the chance to play to his strengths and on the front foot. Was pretty much hemmed in worrying about Ajax on the break. 6
STEVEN DAVIS: The old warhorse tried hard but at times he was left too exposed against an Ajax team who were physically and technically better. 6
SCOTT ARFIELD: It was the midfielder’s birthday but he was left with little to celebrate on the pitch. He pushed to get into attacking positions but nothing really fell. 6
MALIK TILLMAN: The on-loan Bayern Munich attacker should be shining on this stage, especially if he wants a chance back at his parent club. He was well below his level. 5
RYAN KENT: The winger put in an early cross that brought an early chance for Sakala. Apart from that it was another night of major disappointment. 5
ANTONIO COLAK: The Croatian was a big player in getting Rangers into the Champions League but since they got there chances have been something of a premium. 5
FASHION SAKALA: The winger’s pace looked to be Rangers’ best attacking threat. He helped to raise the crowd but his failure to track back cost the second goal. 6
Subs
Glen Kamara (60) : Tried to keep the ball ticking over. 3
Alfredo Morelos (60) : Had a late chance but fired wide. 2
Scott Wright (60) : Didn’t really get into the game. 2
Alex Lowry (83) : Good experience for the youngster going forward. 2
Rabbi Matondo (83) : Won the penalty. 3
NOT USED: McLaughlin, McCrorie, Devine, Fraser, Allan.
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