THE Old Firm have to move through the gears again this week in order to achieve the momentum required to make up significantly lost ground in Europe. The fortnightly ritual at this time of year has become something of an ordeal for Rangers and Celtic, who cannot rely on their domestic form as a guide to their prospects against the foreign foe.

Even the facile victories they secured in the Premier Division at the weekend are unlikely to convince anyone associated with the big Glasgow clubs that the good times are about to roll.

Kilmarnock, 4-1 losers at home to Rangers, and Dunfermline, cuffed 5-1 by Celtic at Parkhead, can hardly be described as formidable tests. Auxerre, who visit Ibrox in the Champions League on Wednesday, and Hamburg, lying in wait across the North Sea for Celtic in the UEFA Cup tomorrow, will have much more fortitude as well as talent.

Having lost 3-0 to Grasshopper Zurich in their first match, Rangers cannot afford anything other than three points this week. Celtic, defeated 2-0 at home by the Germans in the first leg, have an enormous task.

Kilmarnock demonstrated their failure to cope with the rigours of 90 minutes after leading an untypically lethargic Rangers at half-time at Rugby Park. They behaved thereafter like men who have climbed powerfully up the side of a cliff, had a look down, and discovered that they suffer from vertigo.

Paul Gascoigne began the home team's fall by converting a penalty and adding another solo effort before substitute Peter van Vossen added two of his own.

Dunfermline made Celtic look as ordinary as themselves for the first half-hour at Parkhead. Tommy Burns's side often look just like a group of talented players thrown together, capable of inflicting damage through individual skill, but basically lacking coherence.

It was not until Cadete opened the scoring after 32 minutes that their visitors collapsed. Cadete's opener was supplemented by doubles from di Canio and van Hooijdonk - who also missed a penalty - while Britton scored for the visitors in between.

Curiously, it was Scotland's most fancied European contenders who suffered most. Aberdeen, 3-1 ahead of Barry Town in advance of tomorrow's UEFA Cup match in south Wales, went down 2-0 to Hibernian at Pittodrie. Perhaps they had loftier causes on their minds as they allowed Jackson and Wright to score the goals which took the Edinburgh side into fourth place in the Premier Division.