9 key Rangers vs Liverpool questions answered as Connor Goldson injury and Mo Salah cameo feed Ibrox pain

Ruthless Liverpool stepped up a gear after a balanced first half at Ibrox and eased to a thumping 7-1 victory.

Scott Arfield had put Rangers in front with a wonderful goal after a slick passing move with Antonio Colak and Ryan Jack. Ibrox was rocking and Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men were more than holding their own but the Premier League side are a class above the kind of opponents that have visited Govan in recent years.

Roberto Firmino got the game back on level pegging before his team stepped up several gears in the second 45. Darwin Nunez made it three before Mo Salah was introduced into the action and grabbed a stunning hat trick in six minutes and 12 seconds. Youngster Harvey Elliot added a final humiliation before the end.

It was another Champions League reality check for Rangers who have already suffered serious pain in European football’s elite club competition.

Who stood out for Rangers?

Scott Arfield’s goal was a fantastic moment on a horrible night for Rangers. The 33-year-old midfielder worked hard but like the rest of his teammates, faded badly after the break.

What was the biggest talking point?

How could Rangers have collapsed so dramatically after going in 1-1 at the break?

It’s the question everyone will be asking after an awful night for the Govan club. Things weren’t helped by Connor Goldson’s first-half injury that leaves Rangers with just two fit central defenders in Leon King and Ben Davies.

While James Sands and John Lundstram are on the books they are more ideally suited to midfield. Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be hoping his vice-captain will be back quickly from what looked like a calf injury. However, with the player spotted on crutches as the game continued, there may be a period where Rangers have to make do and mend with the 18-year-old academy prospect and Davies, a man still finding his feet.

While they were up against a top side full of incredible attacking talent, they didn’t exactly do themselves justice tonight as a defensive partnership.

Who stood out for Liverpool?

Fabinho really is a Rolls-Royce in the midfield. The lanky Brazilian is a technical marvel with a wide array of passing. Marry that with his power and aggression and you can see the combination of skills that make him world-class. He anchored the engine room with his usual poise and everything positive flowed through him first.

The Reds’ top man though was Roberto Firmino who gave an excellent striking performance that underlines his ongoing usefulness to Jurgen Klopp’s side. The ruthless Brazilian grabbed a double to show he can still have a huge role to play, despite the signing of £86m Darwin Nunez.

It’s no surprise to anyone that Mo Salah is one of the best players in the world and didn’t he show it with the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history. The moment he entered the fray he looked in the mood and he was at his best in a 22-minute cameo.

How did Giovanni van Bronckhorst fare against Jurgen Klopp?

The scoreline speaks for itself. While the first half was very good, the second was catastrophic. Such results are not acceptable at a club of Rangers’ standing.

What does the result mean for Rangers?

Aside from the obvious damage taking such a tanking does to morale, it makes things extraordinarily difficult to progress to the Europa League stage in third place. Ajax’s defeat to Napoli means Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men are still able to qualify for the Europa League but they will need to match or better the Dutch champions’ result in the next round of fixtures and beat them at Ibrox. Should they get an unlikely point in Italy, and Ajax lose at home to Liverpool it would set up a one-off cup final to come third.

What does the result mean for Liverpool?

They look in good shape to qualify with just a point needed in Amsterdam. Klopp will hope that his side can now put faltering domestic form behind them and get back to the levels they have shown in previous seasons.

How was the referee?

Slovenian Slavko Vincic oversaw the Europa League final in May and handled the proceedings well, showing an unfussy approach to proceedings. There were few obvious issues for either side in a robustly contested clash.