Rangers see off Stuttgart

Rangers 2 Stuttgart 1

Kevin Kuranyi had given the Germans the lead on the stroke of half-time but Christian Nerlinger and Peter Lovenkrands gave Alex McLeish’s men the perfect start to the group stages.

Gers boss Alex McLeish named just two survivors of the last Champions League game at Ibrox, a 2-2 draw with Monaco on November 7 2000. They were Michael Mols and Fernando Ricksen but McLeish was able to call upon goalkeeper Stefan Klos and new recruits Henning Berg and Emerson experienced at this level.

Summer signing Paolo Vanoli, who won the UEFA Cup with Parma, and Christian Nerlinger, the former Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund midfielder, also started.

Mols blasted a shot against an upright in the very first minute after Nerlinger had put him in but the flag had already been raised.

Andreas Hinkel then fouled Mols outside the area on the left but Mikel Arteta wasted a good opportunity by blasting the free-kick into the wall.

Rangers were dominating but needed Klos to make a save in the 15th minute when Kuranyi put Alexander Hleb through.

Hleb was booked in the 24th minute for hauling down Arteta and Hildebrand denied Vanoli a superb opener by turning the Italian’s diving header round a post after Arteta had picked him out from the free-kick.

Within seconds the goalkeeper made another quality stop, this time diverting Arveladze’s rasping shot over the crossbar.

Ricksen was stretchered off in the 33rd minute after a clash of heads when he and Berg went for the same ball and Maurice Ross replaced him.

Then Stuttgart stung in stoppage time. Bordon’s 25-yard free-kick rebounded off Kloss right-hand post and Kuranyi was first to the loose ball.

Both sides made a change at the break with Peter Lovenkrands coming on for Vanoli and Ionnis Amanatidis replacing Cacau. The Stuttgart newcomer immediately posed a threat down the left and it needed Klos to block at his near post.

Stuttgart had started strongly and Rangers were content just to hang on for a while.

Rangers were lucky when a speedy counter-attack set up by Hleb saw Kuranyi fire just wide from the right. Hildebrand fumbled a cross from Ball under pressure from Mols to concede a corner and Stuttgart were forced to defend as crosses came in and the crowd came back to life.

Amanatadis saw a shot blocked before Heldt tested Klos with a well-hit first-time effort from the rebound. The Germans were well on top now and the home side badly needed a creative spark.

Nuno Capucho was sent on in place of Emerson in the 66th minute to find it.

RANGERS: Klos, Ricksen (Ross 32), Berg, Khizanishvili, Ball, Emerson (Capucho 65), Arteta, Nerlinger, Vanoli (Lovenkrands 46), Arveladze, Mols.

VFB STUTTGART: Hildebrand, Hinkel, Meira, Bordon, Gerber (Szabics 81), Hleb, Soldo, Tiffert, Heldt (Meissner 69), Kuranyi, Cacau (Amanatidis 47).

Referee: Gilles Veissiere (France).