Gio aiming to avoid worst group-stage performance

Amsterdam on matchday one prompted Van Bronckhorst to argue that it was ‘too much to ask’ for his side to compete with their more moneyed rivals in the section.

Ajax have since failed to claim another point against Liverpool or napoli — conceding 15 goals in the process — but the Ibrox boss stressed they remained on another level to his squad in terms of finance and european experience.

Despite that assessment, Van Bronckhorst believes Rangers can get the better of Ajax with a 90-minute display and claim their first Champions League points.

‘I certainly do,’ he replied, when asked if he thought his side could win. ‘At home against both napoli and Liverpool we played an hour of competitive football but the last half hour it didn’t go well. Tomorrow it is 90 minutes and we are going to go for it.’

Ajax are all but guaranteed europa League

football in the new Year, as Rangers require an five-goal win to overhaul them in third place. Van Bronckhorst continued to urge realism about the Ibrox club’s standing on the continental scene, pointing to Calvin Bassey’s £20million move to Amsterdam when pressed on competing with tonight’s opponents in a wider sense.

‘Compete with Ajax? A team that has almost played the final and for five or six years in a row have been doing well in europe?’ responded the Ibrox manager.

‘We have been doing well in europe the last three years, we are still not at the same level as Ajax. We are developing and that’s the way it is.

‘If you see Ajax, the players overall are from a higher level, their budget is higher. They bought players for £100million. They bought a not bad defender from us last season. We cannot compare ourselves to Ajax but we can compete with them on the day, especially at Ibrox.’

Dinamo Zagreb currently have the tag of worst-ever Champions League performers, recording zero points and a minus 19 goal difference in season 2011-12.

Losing to Ajax could see the unwanted distinction shift to Rangers, although Viktoria Plzen in group C are also at risk ahead of their closing match against Barcelona tonight.

Addressing what he’s learned about his squad in this brutal process, Van Bronckhorst said: ‘How many players in my team have played Champions League? We have players who have come from the Championship, or even played in the B team, it is a whole different level.

‘I remember my first experience as a player with Feyenoord, coming to play against Juventus in my first year. I didn’t realise how high the level was in europe until I played against Zidane and Deschamps and Del Piero and then I knew, wow, this is different. My players have faced the same experience this season.

‘We have had a difficult run and we have a last chance tomorrow to have a positive result.’

But what if it doesn’t happen? How damaging would it be to finish with zero points, the first time that has happened to Rangers in the Champions League?

‘It would be disappointing, of course,’ added Van Bronckhorst. ‘Once we qualified in Holland against PSV, I knew it was going to be a really tough european season.

‘I also had it with my old team Feyenoord (as manager) in the Champions League. We got the first three points in the last game at home to napoli, it was a similar experience. ‘The level is so competitive. If you look at all the results in europe, even the big teams are not assured of winning games. ‘So why should we go on the pitch and expect to win against Ajax? Our approach should be humble. We know we can be strong at home but it is not easy to get a result. You have to work really hard for it.’ glen Kamara’s return to fitness helps offset Lundstram’s suspension in midfield, but Rangers are down to the bare bones in defence. Yilmaz will be out until after the World Cup with a hamstring issue. While Davies could recover from a groin strain to face St Johnstone on Sunday, his absence will mean a centre-back partnership of James Sands and Leon King this evening. Connor goldson, Kemar Roofe, Ryan Jack, Filip Helander, John Souttar, Tom Lawrence and Ianis Hagi are all still sidelined. ‘We have Kamara coming back,’ confirmed Van Bronckhorst (left). ‘Yilmaz will be out for several weeks. ‘Ben Davies didn’t train. Hopefully, he’ll be involved at the weekend.’