JUVENTUS ... 4 RANGERS ... 1

SOMETIMES reality can cut deeply. Last night Rangers European

aspirations were lacerated by a team playing a different kind of

football from that witnessed in Scotland's top division.

Juventus were sharp, stylish and immensely skilful while Rangers were

sluggish, uninspired, and frankly inept by comparison.

Little went right for them, but to dwell on the poverty of their play

would be to deny the remarkable quality of the Italian champions.

Also, it would be insulting to Alessandro del Piero who demonstrated

why he has been hailed widely as the successor to Roberto Baggio.

Del Piero is not yet 21 -- his birthday is next month -- but as a

footballer, he came of age a long time ago, although it was last season

when he began to push for full recognition among a squad of gifted

performers.

Last night, he mesmerised and tormented defenders in equal measure.

In particular, the unfortunate Alex Clelland seemed to be victimised

by del Piero's genius, and it was perhaps inevitable that the defender's

temperament would break.

He had been assigned to the Juventus player early in the match, but

paradoxically was relieved when it became apparent he was chasing no

more than a shadow.

Clelland was moved away from his tormentor, but they came together

again in 52 minutes, only for del Piero to disappear as quickly as he

had appeared in front of the defender. The Italian's turning manoeuvre

was astonishing and again Clelland was left looking foolish.

It was too much for him to bear, and he sought out del Piero two

minutes later, scything his legs from beneath him.

The referee, Vadim Zhuk, had no alternative, and Clelland walked with

the jeers of the Italian supporters threatening to pierce his eardrums.

At least Clelland's suffering was over and perhaps because Juventus's

handsome triumph virtually guarantees them a place in the Champions'

League quarter finals, they might be more sympathetic when they play in

Glasgow in a fortnight.

With Borussia Dortmund beating Steaua Bucharest 1-0 -- also last night

-- it appears now as though the Germans are favourites to take the

second qualifying place from Group C.

Rangers could still qualify by beating Juventus and Steaua at Ibrox,

and then taking at least a point in Dortmund, but after last night, they

have no justification to believe other than that the dream is over.

Walter Smith, who suffered visibly as he watched Rangers being dragged

towards their heaviest defeat since the 5-0 thrashing by Cologne in

1982, will not admit publicly that it is all over, but he must know

Dortmund are unlikely to give up the advantage gained last night.

''I always thought that Juventus would be a two-game exercise but

Dortmund's result makes it very difficult for us now, '' he said.

''Clearly I am disappointed with the performance, but we all must take

into account the standard of team we have just played.''

Rangers fell three goals behind in the space of nine minutes by which

time Andy Goram had already excelled himself by denying the Italian

champions three times.

However, even he could not stand between Juventus and the three points

which they desired and in 15 minutes he was beaten by Ravenelli.

Clelland committed his first foul on del Piero deep on the left, and

from the free kick 22 yards out, Ravenelli's shot penetrated the

defensive wall with the ball taking a deflection off Craig Moore and

thus deceiving Goram.

Del Piero skipped away from the strangely sluggish Gordan Petric two

minutes later and supplied Ravenelli on the left. His chip was knocked

out by Goram, but Antonio Conte followed up and scored.

In 23 minutes del Piero was fouled by Moore, who was deputising for

the suspended Alan McLaren, and after having dusted himself down scored

the third. Moreno Torricelli tapped the ball to del Piero, and from a

tight angle he curled the ball over Goram.

It was an audacious piece of skilful play which had the Juventus

supporters chanting the youngster's name.

The nature of the start to the game left Rangers bereft of ideas and

their supporters sitting in silence after they had contributed raucously

to the pre-kick-off atmosphere and Smith said: ''We didn't start well at

all, and nobody likes to be beaten in that fashion.''

His players looked thoroughly dejected as they trudged off the pitch

at the end, and before John Brown, a second half substitute for Stephen

Wright, could find sanctuary in the dressing room, a Juventus fan

sprinted on to the pitch and swiped from his grasp the jersey which had

been given to him by one of his opponents.

A security man pursued the thief, retrieved the jersey, and gave it

back to Brown, although why the veteran should want a reminder of a

black night in Rangers history is hard to understand.

Too many of the Ibrox side's players failed to contribute properly to

the game and the manner in which they lost their fourth goal in 74

minutes was typical. Moore attempted to play a long ball forward to Oleg

Salenko, but he stood still while Ciro Farrara darted forward to

intercept. His header put Ravenelli clear and he beat Goram for a second

time.

Gough scored Rangers goal a few minutes later when his shot from long

range took a deflection off Torricelli and wrong-footed goalkeeper

Angelo Peruzzi, but it was no consolation at all, and there could be no

disguising the embarrassment which Rangers suffered.

Juventus's manager Marcello Lippi said that he had not expected the

game to be difficult although he never imagined his players would make

such an impressuve start. ''After the three goals in the first half, it

was all very simple,'' he said.

Although Paul Gascoigne might be fit for the return game, Rangers will

be without McLaren, Clelland and Gordon Durie who was booked last night

for a second time in this qualifying campaign.