Lovenkrands opens Rangers' floodgates

Amica Wronki 0 Rangers 5

Goals from Nacho Novo, Peter Lovenkrands, Fernando Ricksen, Shota Arveladze and Steven Thompson made sure Rangers' debut in the new Uefa Cup group stage was a huge success.

Goals from Nacho Novo, Peter Lovenkrands, Fernando Ricksen, Shota Arveladze and Steven Thompson made sure Rangers' debut in the new Uefa Cup group stage was a huge success.

Amica Wronki, Poland's third-best side, were beaten 5-0 in front of their own fans as Rangers enjoyed their biggest European win for four years.

Manager Alex McLeish made two changes from the side which won 2-0 at Motherwell on Sunday, with Arveladze and Lovenkrands replacing Novo and Thompson.

There was a let-off for Rangers in only the second minute when Pawel Kryszalowicz slipped free on the right and set up Mateusz Bartczak. The midfielder's first touch was good but with an open goal he fired wide of the left-hand post.

Wronki dominated the early exchanges and Arveladze did well to fire in a cross from the left at the other end but it was too high for Lovenkrands. Dado Prso was brought down by Michal Stasiak but Wronki dealt with the free-kick aimed at Marvin Andrews.

In the 17th minute Rangers took the lead as Lovenkrands fired in a smartly struck shot from just inside the area after Arveladze's neat run.

After the break Malcolm did well to beat Karol Gregorek but his curling ball to the back post eluded all team-mates. At the other end Remigiusz Sobocinski fired over from outside the box.

Prso headed home a Vignal cross from the left but the flag was up for offside. The Croatian was back in a scoring position within seconds but fired across goal and inches wide under pressure.

In the 56th minute Novo came on for Lovenkrands and made an instant impact with the second goal two minutes later. Vignal's cross from the left was back-heeled by Prso into the Spaniard's path and his shot from the edge of the box beat the goalkeeper.

Ricksen made it 3-0 in the 69th minute by drilling home a 20-yarder after Prso laid the ball back. Then Arveladze was fouled in the penalty area and he got up to slot home the fourth from the spot in the 73rd minute.

Hamed Namouchi replaced Arveladze in the 79th minute before Thompson headed home a Burke cross in the 89th minute to make sure he did not miss out on the goal feast.

Amica Wronki (4-4-2): Malarz; Bieniuk, Dudka, Kucharski, Skrzypek; Stasiak, Dembinski, Gregorek, Kryszalowicz; Bartczak, M Burkhardt. Substitutes: Mielcarz, Dziewicki, Wojtkowiak, Sobocinski, F Burkhardt, Kikut, Kowalczyk.

Rangers (4-4-2): Klos; Khizanishvili, Andrews, Boumsong, Vignal; Ricksen, Malcolm, Arveladze, Lovenkrands; Prso, Burke. Substitutes: G Smith, Thompson, Novo, Hughes, Ball, McLean, Namouchi.

Referee: J R Santiago (Spain).

Referee: Julian Rodriguez Santiago (Spain)