Rangers come from behind to beat Germans

Rangers 2 Stuttgart 1

Substitute Peter Lovenkrands fired a remarkable solo goal as Rangers came back from behind to down Stuttgart.

The Germans had looked in complete control from the moment Kevin Kuranyi fired them ahead in first half stoppage time.

But Rangers first Champions League fixture for almost three years was to have an unexpected ending and, after Christian Nerlinger had fired in an equaliser, the Dane provided it.

Rangers’ four-year unbeaten home record in European competition had looked in real jeopardy but now the Ibrox faithful are dreaming of upsetting Manchester United in the forthcoming Battle of Britain clashes.

The first real chance of the game was Stuttgart’s and it needed Rangers goalkeeper Stefan Klos to deny Alexander Hleb with a sliding block after the Belorussian had been put in by Kuranyi.

But it was Klos’ German counterpart at the other end, Timo Hildebrand, who was the key figure in the first half as he pulled off two superb stops in the space of a few seconds to deny Paolo Vanoli and Shota Arveladze.

Vanoli lost his marker to meet a Mikel Arteta free-kick into the box with a diving header – but Hildebrand had not conceded a goal all season and showed why with an instinctive stop.

Rangers kept the pressure on and within seconds Emerson had set a shooting chance up for Arveladze – only for the Georgian to blast the ball off the goalkeeper’s body.

Rangers were forced into a change in the 33rd minute when Henning Berg and Fernando Ricksen failed to communicate properly and ended up challenging for the same header. Ricksen came off worse and was stretchered off after taking a blow to the head.

Maurice Ross, sent off for Scotland in Germany last week after coming on as a substitute, replaced the Dutchman at right-back.

Referee Gilles Veissiere booked Hleb and Horst Heldt for fouls and Michael Mols for impeding the goalkeeper at set-pieces before a free-kick led to the opening goal three minutes into first half stoppage time.

Nerlinger brought Hleb down more than 25 yards from goal and giant centre-back Marcelo Bordon thundered the dead ball past the wall and Klos too.

It cannoned back off the goalkeeper’s right-hand post where it was despatched by Kuranyi before any defenders could react. It was also the highly-rated striker’s first goal of the season.

Vanoli was replaced by Lovenkrands at the break, with Stuttgart also taking off ineffective frontman Cacau for Ionnis Amanatidis, who immediately started making a nuisance of himself down the left.

The Greek forced a near-post save out of Klos and when a defender was in the way of his next try Heldt was denied by a fine save from the rebound.

Nuno Capucho was sent on in the 66th minute in place of Emerson in a bid to find a creative spark.

Lovenkrands provided one with a ball into the box that Arveladze chested down before firing goalwards on the turn – but Hildebrand was equal to it.

Then, in the 74th minute, fortune favoured Rangers. Nerlinger and Mols both challenged after Ball had planted the ball into the box and it seemed as though the pair had managed to get in each other’s way.

But their clumsiness prevented any defender from getting in to clear and when Nerlinger realised the chance was still there he gleefully netted.

That had seemed like an oasis in the desert and when Arveladze appealed in vain for a penalty following Heiko Gerber’s challenge it seemed as though a draw might be acceptable for Alex McLeish’s men.

But Lovenkrands had other ideas and notched a sensational solo effort in the 79th minute by skipping past challengers at speed before blasting a low drive past the goalkeeper from 25 yards.

It was the perfect strike to win a Champions League match and the final minutes, which included four added on at the end, saw Rangers hang on.

Indeed, the final seconds saw Lovenkrands hit the bar and then fluff a chance in front of goal after Capucho had retrieved the ball.