Red Star Belgarde 0 Rangers 0 <i>(Rangers win 1-0 on agg)</i>: Rangers resilience wins rich reward

An outstanding defensive display from Rangers carried Walter Smith's side into the group stages of the Champions League.

Nacho Novo's late goal in the first leg at Ibrox two weeks ago proved decisive as Rangers withstood all the pressure Red Star could muster to secure a 1-0 aggregate victory.

Rangers could even have won it, Jean-Claude Darcheville having the best chance of the second half but missing the target.

However a goalless draw was enough, securing Rangers the chance to face the best in Europe plus a minimum of £10m to swell the accounts.

The Rangers keeper Allan McGregor made several good saves to take his side through, while Darcheville was a persistent pest to the home defence.

Smith brought in Brahim Hemdani, Lee McCulloch and Darcheville as he reverted to his usual European formation of 4-5-1.

The home side looked threatening throughout the first half and Darcheville was something of an isolated figure up front for Rangers at times but his power enabled him to find space on the right midway through the first half only for Ferguson to fire wide from his near-post cross.

Red Star should have gone ahead when Filip Dordevic's shot was deflected into the path of Dusan Andjelkovic, but the defender sliced his right-footed shot well over the bar from 10 yards. McGregor then rescued Rangers with another save from Andjelkovic's drive.

The game's tempo soon slowed and Darcheville had his clear opportunity to put Rangers 2-0 ahead on aggregate in the 57th minute. The former Bordeaux striker peeled away from his marker to give himself a run towards Randjelovic, but he drilled a left-footed shot across goal and wide of the post.

Red Star threatened again when Ognjen Koroman's 25-yard shot was tipped over by MacGregor.

There was no indication of Red Star giving up, but Rangers held firm. McCulloch was booked for time-wasting before they expertly whiled away much of the four minutes of stoppage-time with some possession football.

Crvena Zvezda (4-4-2): Randjelovic; Andjelkovic, Milijas (Raskovic, 74), Koroman, Burzanovic (Barcos, 71); Tutoric, Lucas, Gueye, Basta; Dordevic, Castillo. Substitutes not used: Banovic, Bronowicki, Bajalica, Molina, Milovanovic.

Rangers (4-5-1): McGregor; Hutton, Weir, Papac, Whittaker (Beasley, 79); Hemdani, Thomson, Cuellar, McCulloch, Ferguson; Darcheville (Cousin, 70). Substitutes not used: Carroll, Boyd, Novo, Broadfoot, Webster.

Referee: L Cardoso Cortez Batista (Portugal).