Rangers endured a torrid night as they were thrashed 6-0 by Club Brugge in their Champions League playoff on Wednesday, completing a crushing 9-1 aggregate defeat that sent the Belgian side into the league phase.
The match could hardly have started worse for the Glasgow club, as Club Brugge’s Nicolo Tresoldi opened the scoring after five minutes before Rangers defender Max Aarons was sent off for hauling down Christos Tzolis as the last man three minutes later.
Hans Vanaken doubled Club Brugge’s lead after 32 minutes, before Joaquin Seys netted twice in quick succession before halftime to complete a blistering brace that turned the contest into a rout.
Rangers’ nightmare deepened when Alexander Stankovic struck a fifth for the hosts deep into first-half stoppage time.
The onslaught continued five minutes after the restart when Tzolis added a sixth, after which Club Brugge eased off, content to keep possession and see out the match at a slower tempo.
It was perhaps a little too close for comfort for Qarabag, but the Azeri side still celebrated a 5-4 aggregate triumph despite a 3-2 home defeat to Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros.
The club now return to the Champions League group stage for only the second time, their previous appearance coming in 2017.
FC Copenhagen booked their place in the league phase as Andreas Cornelius’s header and a late Youssoufa Moukoko goal sealed a 2-0 home victory over Swiss side Basel, completing a 3-1 aggregate triumph.
The Danish capital club will join Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt as Scandinavia’s representatives in the tournament.
Kerem Akturkoglu proved Benfica’s hero as his first-half strike earned the Lisbon side a 1-0 win over Fenerbahce and sent them through after the first leg in Turkey had ended goalless.
The league-phase draw will take place on Thursday in Monaco with the first matchday scheduled to be played from September 16 to 18.
