Rangers suffer Sevilla thrashing

The Scottish champions were denied a penalty late in the first half before Abdoulay Konko, the player responsible for the foul, set the ball rolling on an emphatic win for the La Liga side.

He grabbed the opener shortly after the restart, before Adriano, Luis Fabiano and Frederic Kanoute all helped themselves to a goal apiece as Rangers collapsed in the second half. Substitute Nacho Novo did pull a goal back late on but it was scant consolation for Walter Smith's men.

The home fans were outraged when Naismith was denied a penalty but they almost had more to complain about four minutes from the break when stopper Madjid Bougherra was dispossessed by Adriano when he tried to walk the ball out his box.

The Brazilian fired in a shot which Allan McGregor did well to parry wide but only to Jesus Navas who drove over from 16 yards, to the relief of Bougherra.

In the 50th minute the visitors nudged ahead following a free-kick awarded when David Weir was adjudged to have fouled Fabiano 35 yards from goal. Manuel Lolo knocked the ball wide to the unmarked Jesus Navas and when he floated the ball in the box, with Kanoute arguably in an offside position, Konko rose highest to steer a header past the helpless McGregor.

But the home side's exertions began to take their toll and the game was over in the 63rd minute when Adriano converted from 12 yards after being set up by Luis Fabiano.

There was further misery in the 71st minute when Luis Fabiano headed in from four yards from Kanoute's deep cross from the right.

Ibrox was silenced again three minutes later, with the home side's defence in disarray, the roles were reversed when Luis Fabiano played Kanoute in and the big striker calmly slotted past McGregor for number four.

Two minutes from time, Novo smashed in from 25 yards to give the fans who had stayed behind some hope for the rest of the campaign.