Rangers have finally shuddered to a halt in Group D, though given their previous bold antics, this result might not seem such a calamity once a torrid night in Istanbul has cooled in the senses. Galatasaray are gradually finding resolve and are now comfortably poised for a winter offensive in Europe.
The memory of this night will remain a stupendously lashed left-foot volley from Jardel, a Brazilian who had previously looked a shadow of his £18m transfer ticket, which blew past Stefan Klos and confirmed Galatasary's ascendancy on the night. Rangers puffed away as the Turks pierced them but could draw little blood.
Rangers manager Dick Advocaat's tactical decision to play precisely the same team in the same shape as last week against Monaco proved stillborn the moment Belozoglu Emre began dropping off behind Jardel for Galatasaray.
And then there was the performance of Lorenzo Amoruso, the Rangers captain, whose defending is always a mix of bravery and buffoonery. Amoruso had already let Jardel escape his clutches to scuff a shot wide in front of Stefan Klos before, moments from the interval, the Italian ballooned a clearance high and spinning in the direction of his goalkeeper, who frantically palmed it onto his own crossbar.
On these occasions it is always heartening to witness Amoruso's reaction - this time, like every other time, it wasn't his fault.
The game abruptly disintegrated for Rangers from the 51st minute. On the balance of play Galatasaray probably deserved their lead, though Rangers will rage at the way they conceded the goal. Hakan Unsal's short corner to Ergun caught the Ibrox side napping, and when Ergun's cross arrived, Bulent whacked into Klos's right-hand corner.
Within minutes Rangers fell further behind, this time to something exquisite. It didn't seem to matter from whom or how Davala Umit gathered the ball 25 yards from goal - the next seconds deemed these details irrelevant. Rarely can poor Klos have faced a shot of such suspended, dipping menace as Umit's effort arced towards him and loped into his net.
Jardel was finally allowed to apply his golden touch to these proceedings with a majestic left-foot volley from Umit's high cross after 69 minutes. Rangers fought back two minutes later with a header from Andrei Kanchelskis, while Giovanni Van Bronckhorst drove in a direct free kick in the final minute. It was, however, too little, too late.
Galatasaray: Taffarel; Fatih, Popescu, K Bulent, Unsal; Umit, A Bulent, Ergun, Hasan (Ahmet, 88min); Belozoglu (Faruk, 75); Jardel.
Rangers: Klos; Amoruso, Tugay, Konterman; Reyna, Ferguson, Van Bronckhorst, Numan; Johnston (Kanchelskis, 58), Mols (Dodds, 67), De Boer.
Referee: P Collina (Italy).
