Rangers’ Champions League conquerors Malmo FF are still without a Champions League goal this season as they were humbled by current holders Chelsea.
The Swedish Champions defeated Rangers in an early-season qualifier in a result which sticks in the craw of many Ibrox supporters.
It’s also bound to frustrate Steven Gerrard, who has previously bemoaned a lack of spending in the last two windows, something directly impacted by a failure to make the Group Stages and the £30m that comes with it.
But the true cost of qualification is clear for Malmo who are quite clearly light-years behind their counterparts in Group H.
So far the Swedes have lost 3-0 on home soil to Serie A side Juventus, 4-0 away to Zenit St Petersburg, and now 4-0 in London to Chelsea.
With 11 goals conceded the Swedes are yet to score and the last three results highlights the sizeable gulf in class between Malmo and everyone else in the group.
Whilst plenty believe Rangers are a better side than the Swedes – and that the qualifier came too early amid a range of injury issues – these results highlight the gargantuan step up in quality to the Champions League.
Rangers may well have slipped up against the Swedes but it’s difficult to imagine the Ibrox side being able to compete at this level even if they hadn’t, something alluded to by Steven Gerrard after the 4-2 aggregate defeat to Malmo.
European football’s – and therefore the world’s – elite club footballing competition, it’s something Rangers must be aware of should they attain qualification next season.
Ibrox fans always expect their side to come out on top but when it comes to Champions League qualification, Malmo are proving that qualification for the tournament does come at a cost.
Meanwhile, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has dropped a major selection hint ahead of Rangers’ Europa League clash with Brondby.
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