Rangers ends with worst-ever UCL group stage record after 1-3 loss to Ajax

Rangers conceded 22 goals in its six group games for a negative goal difference of minus 20, which beats the previous worst group return by Dinamo Zagreb in the 2011-12 campaign when it lost all six games and finished with a goal difference of minus 19.

Rangers’ players after 1-3 loss to Ajax in the UEFA Champions League Group A match in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Ajax Amsterdam made sure of a place in the Europa League after beating Rangers 3-1 away at Ibrox on Tuesday to heap further Champions League misery on the Scottish club.

Ajax finished third in Group A, behind Napoli and Liverpool, and will compete in the Europa League knockout round playoffs as Rangers finished bottom after losing all six group games, the first Scottish side to suffer the fate, and returned the worst figures in the three decades of Champions League group competition.

Steven Berghuis put Ajax ahead with a miscued effort in the fourth minute after being teed up by Mohammed Kudus, who then added a second with a deflected shot in the 29th minute.

Rangers captain James Tavernier pulled one back from the penalty spot four minutes from time, for only its second goal of the group stage, but Ajax restored its two-goal advantage through teenage substitute Francisco Conceicao two minutes after.

Rangers, which needed to win by five goals to move above Ajax and take the Europa League berth, was jeered off at halftime.

It conceded 22 goals in its six group games for a negative goal difference of minus 20, which beats the previous worst group return by Dinamo Zagreb in the 2011-12 campaign when it lost all six games and finished with a goal difference of minus 19.

Czech club Viktoria Plzen also lost all six games this season with a minus 19 goal difference after losing 2-4 at home to Barcelona on Tuesday.