Andrew Dickson reports from Ibrox

RANGERS' confidence took a dent prior to the second leg of their Champions League qualifier with FBK Kaunas as they were beaten 4-0 by Liverpool.

Fernando Torres put the Reds in front during his 45-minute first-half outing for the visitors and their interval lead was deserved.

Goals from David N'Gog, Yossi Benayoun and Xabi Alonso then sealed a comfortable victory for the Reds.

Gers played some decent stuff before the break and Walter Smith will be encouraged to an extent by certain aspects of his side's play.

They certainly appeared more lively at times than they had on Wednesday as they drew 0-0 with the Lithuanians and hopes will be high they can be beaten in the return game.

But Rafa Benitez's men were always in control of this match without looking terribly troubled and that will be of concern to the Light Blues manager.

Rangers began far better than they had against Kaunas in midweek, with the large crowd of 50,223 appearing to lift them considerably.

Lee McCulloch and Kenny Miller both came close with early chances, the first fizzing just wide and the second rising over the crossbar.

Back came the visitors and Torres caught sight of goal but Allan McGregor raced off his line to gather the ball before the forward could shoot.

Torres was able to get an effort in soon after but his header from Andrea Dossena's left-wing cross dropped too late.

While he missed out then, the Spaniard was more fortunate midway through the first half as he put Liverpool in front.

Young midfielder Damien Plessis collected the ball 35 yards from goal and came upfield, releasing a vicious rising shot.

McGregor looked as though he had caught it but with so much power behind the strike, he spilled and Torres was there to tap in the rebound from close range.

A misplaced David Weir pass gave the Reds an opportunity to double their advantage, with a through ball giving Torres and Robbie Keane the chance to pour forward.

After a neat one-two, the former drove at goal and Kirk Broadfoot threw himself at the ball to block and bail his defensive colleague out.

Weir was let off the hook again after he pulled down Torres and Kevin Thomson stopped Alvaro Arbeloa when Steven Gerrard set him up with the resulting free kick.

Rangers' response was positive, with Kyle Lafferty and Sasa Papac combining well on the left and the Bosnian forcing Diego Cavalieri to tip his delicate chip past the post.

Dirk Kuyt also went close at the other end when he met another Gerrard set piece at the far post.

As half-time approached, it was the hosts who were applying more pressure and Gerrard nodded a dipping Nacho Novo free kick just behind his own bar.

Then, quite incredibly, the little Spaniard was denied on the line after some wonderful play between him and Miller.

The two split the away defence and Novo then rounded keeper Cavalieri to leave himself with an open goal at his mercy.

He had to take the ball around the post first though and just as he pulled the trigger to tap in, Dossena made a magnificent sliding tackle to somehow keep it at 1-0.

Each side made five substitutions at the break, with Smith eager not to tire his men out before Tuesday's Champions League qualifier in Eastern Europe.

Regardless of their new look, his side continued to press for an equalizer initially and Daniel Agger almost headed Lafferty's cross over his own keeper and in.

Steven Whittaker then set up Jean-Claude Darcheville and Novo was inches from bundling his trundling shot across goal into the net.

While that was encouraging, Liverpool were intent on getting a second and after N'Gog put Stephen Darby's ball over, they got it on 56 minutes.

Broadfoot's slack pass allowed N'Gog space to shoot and he fired inside McGregor's near post from just inside the box.

Liverpool another trio of changes and within seconds one of their replacements, Krisztian Nemeth, helped make it 3-0.

His cross-cum-shot from the left had McGregor scrambling and Benayoun stroked home at the back post.

Things went from bad to worse when Broadfoot then gave away a penalty 20 minutes from the end as he pulled down Nemeth.

Alonso made no mistake from the spot and although Neil Alexander guessed the right way, he couldn't keep his shot from 12 yards out.

At last, the Premiership side took their foot off the gas and although they had further chances, they didn't add to their lead.

Even so, they had given Smith plenty to ponder and he will be looking for far more from his men in the months to come than they gave today.

RANGERS: McGregor (Alexander 62); Whittaker, Broadfoot, Weir (Webster 46), Papac (Dailly 46); Novo (Boyd 59), Hemdani (Furman 46), Thomson, McCulloch (Adam 46); Lafferty (Velicka 71), Miller (Darcheville 46).

Subs: Bougherra.

LIVERPOOL: Cavalieri (Reina 62), Dossena, Skrtel (Hyypia 46), Keane (Nemeth 58), Gerrard (Spearing 58), Torres (N'Gog 46), Plessis (Alonso 46), Benayoun (Pennant 71), Arbeloa (Darby 46), Kuyt (Insua 58), Carragher (Agger 46)..

Referee: Craig Thomson.