The Champions League is football's most unforgiving arena, something Rangers are being reminded of on an all-too regular basis at the moment.
The Ibrox side's return to UEFA's top table has been a chastening one thus far and a surprisingly meek defeat away at Liverpool means it's now no points and no goals from three groups stage outings. Giovanni van Bronckhorst has lamented the gulf in resources between his team and the expensively assembled ensembles who rule the roost at this level and while that gap is an indisputable fact, more was expected of Rangers on their first-ever competitive visit to Anfield.
Were it not for the colossal Allan McGregor, set-piece strikes from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah would have been added to over and over by the Reds. That it took Rangers until five minutes from full-time to register an effort on untroubled Allison Becker's goal told its own story.
