Rangers were sent a Champions League warning by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool as last season’s beaten finalists thrash AFC Bournemouth 9-0 for their first Premier League win of the season.
The Reds have endured a rocky start to their domestic campaign and after earning no wins in their first three games the pressure was mounting heading into the clash with the Cherries.
Some Rangers fans were even buoyed by the Anfield club’s rocky start to the league campaign with confidence of an upset high after the Champions League draw in midweek.
Rangers will contest a Battle of Britain against Liverpool this season as they compete in Group A alongside Dutch giants Ajax and Serie A club Napoli.
That quiet confidence from the Rangers camp comes amid Liverpool draws with the likes of Fulham and Crystal Palace and a defeat to arch-rivals Man United to start the season.
But anyone dreaming of an upset was given a reality check as Liverpool kickstarted their campaign with an emphatic and record-equalling 9-0 defeat of Scott Parker’s Bournemouth team.
This matches the biggest win in Premier League history, Man Utd having won 9-0 twice – against Ipswich in 1995 and Southampton last year – while Leicester City annihilated the Saints by the scoreline in 2019.
Starting £112m front three Mo Salah (£34m), Roberto Firmino (£29m) and Luis Diaz (£49m), it was an explosive performance that showed the strength in depth that this Liverpool team boast.
Both Luis Diaz and Roberto Firmino netted doubles in the match – with the Brazilian forward getting an additional three assists – as Liverpool blew the newly promoted side away.
Harvey Elliot, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and a Chris Mepham own goal completed the scoring and Rangers fans will take this as a Champions League warning.
Liverpool boss relishing “proper” Rangers challenge
Underestimate Liverpool at your peril with the Merseyside club having competed in three of the last five Champions League Finals and being second favourites behind Man City for the competition this season.
It speaks volumes that Darwin Nunez – an £85m signing in the summer – didn’t play and Rangers will be well aware of the challenge they face against Jurgen Klopp’s team.
Speaking of the German coach, Klopp was waxing lyrical about the Champions League group after the draw was made this week, branding it a “proper challenge”.
“The first thing to say is this is a proper, proper challenge,” Jurgen Klopp told the official Liverpool website.
“All of the clubs have quality, they all have pedigree and I would say they all have a chance. The good thing is that we do also, so it makes sense for us to look forward to the challenge and give it a try.
“We did not ask for any favours and we have not been given any but this is not a competition where you can look for easy ways through because the standard is always unbelievably high.
“The difference this year is that the group stage will be shorter than usual, so we will have to be ready not just for the quality of the opposition but also for the different demands and rhythms.
“Rangers are a new opponent for us but we know them, too. Their story over the last few years has been really interesting and they did really, really well to qualify for the group stage, given the teams they were up against in the qualifying matches.
“We also know a couple of their players well. Ryan Kent has had a great development since moving to Scotland and Ben Davies is just starting out on his journey with Rangers, so it will be good to come up against them.”
Whilst the Liverpool victory over Bournemouth will have Rangers fans taking notice, it is a while yet before the club will face off against the Premier League giants.
Rangers fans will make the pilgrimage to Liverpool on the 4th of October for the 3rd Group A game before facing them at Ibrox eight days later on the 12th.
Meanwhile, read about how one former Celtic boss finds himself at the centre of yet another potentially exciting Rangers transfer.
