Werder Bremen 1 - 0 Rangers (agg 1-2) Thur 13/03/08

Rangers are into the last eight of the UEFA Cup following a 1-0 defeat away to Werder Bremen, with the Scottish Premier League leaders progressing 2-1 on aggregate.

The excellent Diego struck the only goal at the Weserstadion early in the second half, but the star man on the night was Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor, who produced several excellent saves to deny the Germans.

The Gers, with a two-goal advantage to protect, adopted a defensive formation for the clash as both Brahim Hemdani and Christian Dailly were stationed in front of the back four, with the trio of Barry Ferguson, Steven Davis and Charlie Adam just ahead.

However, despite having only Nacho Novo positioned ahead of the ball during the long periods of Bremen possession, the Scottish Premier League side failed to prevent their opponents from making chances in the opening half. In fact, the Bundesliga outfit created a host of opportunities.

The hosts came close within the first three minutes, with Markus Rosenberg failing to make decent contact with a close range volley following a knock-down by Per Mertesacker.

The Germans continued to press in the early stages, as Hugo Almeida just failed to get enough on an Aaron Hunt cross, before McGregor had to get down well to push away a Rosenberg drive.

On 18 minutes, Diego floated a magnificent pass over the Gers’ defence and into the path of Tim Borowski, but the attacking midfielder could only direct his volley – on the stretch – over the bar.

Soon there after, Brahim Hemdani almost fed in Rosenberg with an under-hit back pass, before McGregor reacted brilliantly to stop a drive from Daniel Jensen, who got on the end of a Hunt header.

At the midway point of the first period, following several close shaves and a host of Bremen corners, Walter Smith would have known his side were fortunate not to be behind.

Hugo Almeida proved nuisance for the Scots on 27 minutes, as he beat McGregor to a cross, heading just wide. It wouldn’t have counted, however, as referee Martin Hansson called a foul on the Rangers keeper.

The visitors produced their first chance on the half-hour. Kirk Broadfoot slammed a fine pass down the right channel and in behind the Bremen defence, but Novo’s drive from a tight angle was blocked by keeper Tim Wiese, which went to Ferguson but he couldn't make anything of the chance.

Disappointingly, Diego went down in a heap after being lightly touched on the face a few minutes before the break, perhaps an indication of the Brazilian’s frustration, who had pulled the strings and seen his forwards squander several chances in the first period.

Barry Ferguson had a chance to put Novo in beyond a high-lying Bremen back line five minutes from the interval, but the Scotland midfielder’s attempted through ball was cut out.

Bremen had one final half-chance before the before the referee blew the half time whistle, as centre back Naldo could only make light contact while stretching to meet another good Hunt cross.

McGregor had to be alert to divert a 20-yard Borowski strike five minutes into the second period and from the subsequent corner kick, Mertesacker missed an excellent chance to break the deadlock, the defender taking his eye off the cross momentarily before heading wide.

Like in the early stages of the first half, Rangers were being forced into crucial blocks with McGregor being worked almost continuously at the start of the second.

The Scots’ resistance was finally broken on 58 minutes, as Broadfoot was to head a cross straight to Diego, who took the ball away from would-be challenges with excellent control and a flick before driving a shot superbly into the bottom corner.

Within two minutes of the opener, Davis had a fine chance to grab a vital away goal, failing to connect from 10 yards after the Bremen defence had gone missing.

Novo was then guilty of a poor connection with an attempted pass across field to Whittaker, who was in acres of space just outside of the Bremen box and with team-mates in support.

With Bremen beginning to leave sizeable gaps at the back in the pursuit of the equaliser, at the other end Mertesacker rose to meet another corner as the clash moved into its final 10 minutes, but again the big stopper directed his attempt wide.

A half chance fell to Bremen substitute Martin Harvik with eight minutes remaining, but his wild, right-footed drive from the corner of the penalty areas sailed at least five yards high and wide of the angle of McGregor’s posts.

Three minutes later, substitute Boubacar Sanogo was denied by a moment of brilliance by McGregor – his best of the match – as the keeper tipped the Ivory Coast striker’s close range effort, after Harvik had managed to flick a semi-cleared cross back across goal, onto the crossbar.

Bremen continued to fling balls into the Rangers box right until the final whistle, but through a combination of a lack of composure and committed defending, the equalising goal was not to come.

RANGERS: McGreggor, Broadfoot, Cuellar, Weir, Papa, Dailly, Hemdani, Ferguson, Davis, Adam (Whittaker 57), Novo (McCulloch 78),

Subs Not Used: Alexander, Buffel, Thomson, Boyd, Naismith,

Ref: Martin Hansson

Man-of-the-match: McGreggor

Attendance: 33,660