Gio van Bronckhorst ha refused to throw in the Champions League towel as he insisted Rangers can still bounce back from their Anfield lesson.
It’s now three games and no points on the board for the Ibrox side after they were outclassed in another sobering defeat to Jurgen Klopp’s relentless Reds. A sensational Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick gave the Scousers the early lead before Mo Salah sealed victory from the penalty spot just after half-time.
But it could have been a repeat of the hammering Rangers took from Ajax in Amsterdam had it not been for Allan McGregor after the 40-year-old stopper again rolled back the years to put on a one-man show of defiance. Liverpool are in Glasgow next Wednesday before the Light Blues face a daunting trip to Italy to take on Group A leaders Napoli, who are now in full command of the section after scudding the Dutch champions 6-1.
But van Bronckhorst has urged his team to keep fighting and ensure they have something to play for when they host Ajax in the group finale. He said: “It’s a very very difficult group with teams from a high level. Big defeats you see in this group stage and we have to concentrate on being in Europe after the winter break.
“That means results have to come our way in the next two games. That’s the only thing we can have still. The chance to play Ajax in the last game with a chance to qualify for Europe after the break.’
But van Bronckhorst acknowledged his team were always up against it against a side whose squad is valued at £830million - seven times the estimated cost of his own group. The Dutchman said: “The gap is obvious. Look at the squads we both have. We are competing against one of the best sides in Europe.
“The gap is there but it doesn’t mean you have to lose the game. I thought we competed really well. We defended really well at set pieces and that is hard because they take them really well. We will learn from this game. The players will learn and take these experiences into the next game and the rest of the group.”
Rangers don’t have much time to put those lessons into practice, with Liverpool due in Glasgow next Wednesday. McGregor started the season playing second fiddle to Jon McLaughlin.
But he the veteran shot-stopper has now firmly re-established himself as the No.1 at Ibrox after yet another brave display. It took Alexander-Arnold’s pin-point set-piece to beat him in the first half but he got an ovation from Klopp and the Anfield crowd at the break after pulling off four incredible stops to deny the Uruguayan ace Darwin Nunez.
There were a couple more in the second half but even the evergreen Light Blues goalie couldn’t deny Salah as he slammed home from the spot after kid defender Leon King blotted his copy book on his debut by bringing down Luis Diaz. Paying tribute to McGregor, van Bronckhorst said: “He performed really well. We know he can perform on this level.
“Especially the first half – and in the second half he had some good saves. So for me it was a very positive performance.
“Also very positive from Leon King, an 18-year-old defender from the academy who played really well today. He was one of our best defenders. We are pleased with his performance.
“Ben Davies, his performance as well. He only played 70 minutes of the season and coming back to Liverpool I think he performed really well. There are always positives to take from this game.”
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