Wretched Rangers take Champions League's most unwanted tag - and Ajax defeat shows exactly why

Play like you might never play in the Champions League again. Giovanni van Bronckhorst would not have had to think too deeply about his pre-match talk.

It was the last night, the parting glass. Ae fond kiss and then we sever. Who knows when the Champions League anthem might ring out at Ibrox again?

Ajax will hope it isn’t long. The Ibrox side are the one team they can beat. They condemned Rangers to the Group A wooden spoon and, worse, much worse, the indignity of being awarded the title of worst-ever team to play in the Champions League. That isn’t something worth stitching below the club crest on shirts. It won’t be put on show among the title flags and cups in the Ibrox trophy room. Nor will it be displayed on a wall in the Blue Room.

Remarkably, this latest Champions League defeat, their sixth in succession, comes just a few months, 167 days indeed, since Rangers lost out narrowly in the Europa League final. Even considering the step up in level, and the injuries, the atrophy since then is astounding. Was this the night a team died? Perhaps. The reality, of course, is that this side is still very capable of winning the Scottish title. That strikes at the heart of Van Bronckhorst's problem.

Rangers' players look crestfallen at the full-time whistle.

An August night in Eindhoven seems a very long time ago now. Secretly, Van Bronckhorst may wish it never happened. This was another long night at Europe’s top table for Rangers. There were very few positives other than 19-year-old substitute Alex Lowry making his first top-team appearance of the season and Champions League debut. Alfredo Morelos came on and missed a near-open goal near the end.

Rangers’ hopes went up in smoke after only four minutes when Steven Berghuis casually clipped home Ajax’ opener. The pungent smell from the away fans’ pyro display was still in the air.

It was a night when Ryan Kent needed to stretch every sinew on the wing. Much, too, was expected from Malik Tillman after his excellent performance against Aberdeen on Saturday. Both were replaced long before the end. The hosts did produce a death rattle. James Tavernier stroked home a penalty after substitute Rabbi Matondo was upended four minutes before time. But it summed up Rangers’ entire campaign when Ajax substitute Francisco Conceicao broke free and tucked home an immediate reply to restore the visitors’ two goal lead. In what seemed like the blink of an eye any hope that Rangers might yet avoid the tag of worst-ever tag was extinguished.

Even given the hazy conditions initially, Rangers’ limitations were plain to see. A feature of their home Group A games has been a decent opening hour before all-out collapse – understandable in the case of the Napoli defeat given they only had ten men.

Rangers' James Tavernier tries to motivate the squad as Ajax celebrate making it 2-0.

But they could not even manage that here despite Van Bronckhorst’s challenge to deliver a 90-minute performance. This plan had unstitched after just four minutes as Rangers were exposed down their right side by a piercing Ajax move that ended with Mohammed Kudus laying the ball on a plate for Berghuis. He dinked the pass past the stranded Allan McGregor. It was the 20th goal Rangers have conceded since the campaign opened against Ajax in the Netherlands. Few were betting against there being more to come.

Another duly followed after 28 minutes when Kudus’ effort wrong-footed McGregor after deflecting off Leon King following another good move down the visitors’ left.

In between times, Rangers had every right to feel they could and probably should have been level. They had the old Ibrox favourite Calvin Bassey to curse for that not being the case. The defender was in the right place at the right time after 13 minutes to head off the line after Fashion Sakala was the unlikely player to get on the end of Kent’s deep hanging cross.

Rangers were enjoying a decent spell at his stage but it didn’t last. Ajax looked stronger in every department and were exhibiting the benefit of having a free weekend. Rangers, by contrast, looked leaden footed, something not helped, perhaps, by having two players in their mid-thirties in midfield.

Steven Davis is, of course, now 37. It was also Scott Arfield’s 34th birthday. There was little for the latter to celebrate in the first half given he was the one dispossessed in the run up to Ajax’s second goal just before the half hour mark. He will argue that he was still far from his own goal. Ajax were ruthless in taking full advantage.

Owen Wijndal pulled the ball back for Kudus, who was allowed to assess his options. James Sands did not close down and his defensive partner King could do little as the ball struck off him before nestling in McGregor’s net. The Ibrox keeper was helpless once more but he will have been furious about the lack of protection. This isn’t why he delayed his retirement.

Wijndal limped around the pitch after sustaining a particularly painful looking injury after a collision with an advertising board as he defended a cross ball. But little about the pattern of play was altered as Ajax picked up where they left off in the second half. Rangers had VAR to thank for not falling three goals behind just ten minutes after half-time. Substitute Devyne Rensch sprinted clear down the left and crossed for Kudus to stroke home what he thought was his second of the night. However, replays showed he was just offside.

Ibrox offered a hearty enough cheer in acknowledgement, but it was also fatalistic. Did it even matter anymore? Perhaps it did. Arfield saw a shot tipped over the bar by Remko Pasveer as Rangers sought to at least end the evening – and campaign – on a high. Rangers could not even manage that, despite Tavernier’s late penalty. They are the first British club to lose all six Champions League group games.