VfB Stuttgart vs. Rangers

After a shaky start to the match and going a goal behind after a mistake from full back Sasa Papac, Rangers dominated the play in the second half culminating in Bougherra equalising for Rangers and seeing a late strike from Steven Davis hit the woodwork.

With less than a minute on the clock Cacau ran onto a cross from the right and drew a good save from goalkeeper Allan McGregor, before Thomas Hitzlsperger skied the rebound over the crossbar. Stuttgart were threatening again in the early stages of the match when Cacau released Pogrebniak into the box who teed up Hleb who was denied from close range by McGregor at the near post.

Hleb then turned provider with a corner into the box which broke to Cacau but his shot was diverted wide by McGregor once again. But, the Rangers goalkeeper was picking the ball out of the back of the net soon after when Cacau’s cut-back found Pogrebniak, who struck a powerful right footed shot past McGregor just after18 minutes to give the Germans a well deserved lead.

With seconds to go until the break Rangers were given another scare as Pogrebniak rattled the crossbar.

Within a couple of minutes gone in the second half, Rangers could have equalised. Rothen picked out Sasa Papac in front of goal and the left-back held off Matthieu Delpierre and headered just wide of the post. Lehmann was in action once again as Miller tried his luck with a long-range effort that the Stuttgart goalkeeper managed to block at the near post.

With 20 minutes to go, Papac picked up the first booking of the match after catching Christian Trasch on the face with his boot but the Stuttgart full-back was quickly able to return to the action after receiving treatment.

The honours went to Bougherra instead when he snatched the leveller after 77 minutes. The defender worked a one-two with Rothen before driving past the out-stretched hands of Lehmann.

Rangers could even have snatched a last-gasp victory when they hit the woodwork in the final minute of the game when a Davis shot struck the post.