Joy in Denmark as Rangers triumph 2-1

COPENHAGEN 1-2 RANGERS

Santos 83

Arteta, pen 52; Arveladze 86

Rangers are through to the Promised Land of the UEFA Champions League following a hard-fought and enthralling 2-1 win in Copenhagen tonight.

It was indeed Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen for the Scottish champions who answered their many critics in the best possible fashion with a late winner from Shota Arveladze deciding a tie which seemed certain to head for extra time.

Rangers, wearing all blue, made two changes from the first leg with Henning Berg and Christian Nerlinger replacing the injured Craig Moore and Maurice Ross.

Ronald De Boer was however fit to play whilst Copenhagen fielded the same team as at Ibrox.

The near capacity crowd of 35,000 created and intense atmosphere, and from the opening seconds it was obvious that Rangers Manager Alex McLeish had opted to pack the middle of the park with a line of five.

The Danes should have been reduced to ten men as early as the fourth minute when their captain Peter Nielsen committed a shocking tackle on Michael Ball only for Croatian referee Zeljko Siric somehow to see nothing amiss.

Copenhagen were making the early running despite Rangers overwhelming need to score - Hjalte Norregrrad's low 20 yard drive in 8 minutes being just wide of the target.

3 minutes later Ole Tobiasen's 25-yard free kick flashed just over as the home side pressed for the opener.

Rangers had struggled to make any sort of an impact in the opening 20 minutes. Indeed, the one chance of the first half came when Ronald De Boer played a one-two with Michel Mols before shooting wide.

The rest of the opening 45 minutes degenerated into a series of yellow cards - Khizanishvili, Zuma, Roll and Ricksen all being booked.

Fernando's in particular was absurd - a perfectly innocuous tackle that somehow provoked a wild response from the Danes and astonishingly a card from the referee.

Six minutes into the second half the game changed irrevocably when Ranges snatched a priceless away goal, thus canceling out Todi Jonsson's strike at Ibrox. A Michael Ball free kick from all of 30 yards was parried by goalkeeper Balazs Zabuczki, the loose ball breaking to Mols who was up-ended by Rumbas Rooba for a clear penalty.

Mikel Arteta coolly converted the spot kick and suddenly Rangers were in the driving seat.

Indeed, it might have been two-nil in 57 minutes when Shota Arveladze's header from a De Boer cross was blocked by Zabuczki.

Copenhagen were far from out of it however - Jonsson driving at the heart of the Ibrox defence in 61 minutes only to see his shot held by Stefan Klos.

It was backs to the wall stuff at this stage as the home side piled on the pressure, several close range shots were stopped in quick succession before Berg made a desperate saving tackle on Roll on the edge of the box with the home support screaming for a penalty.

The tackle effectively was the final action of the game for Berg, whose performance answered many critics tonight, the Norwegian limping off to be replaced by Bob Malcolm.

Copenhagen had thrown on new signing Alvaro Santos in an effort to retrieve the situation, and the Brazilian almost became an immediate hero in 75 minutes when put through by Jorgen Pettersson only to stumble at the vital moment.

The home attacks were becoming more and more frenzied as the minutes ticked away. Roll's header from a Norregaard corner was only just wide of the target in 81 minutes, but within 60 seconds the scores were even when a long ball from Bo Svensson found Santos who bundled the ball into the net past the out-rushing Klos.

Extra time loomed as the Danes went all out for the winner but there was a further twist in the tale when Ball's long thrown-in was headed on by Christian Nerlinger, finding Arveladze whose hook shot on the turn found the top corner of the net.

The Champions League beckoned and Arteta might have made it 3-1 when his 25 yard free kick in injury time was pushed wide by the goalkeeper.

The final whistle brought joyous scenes amongst the traveling Rangers support and afterwards Alex McLeish reflected.

"This is a massive result for the club, it means so much to Rangers both financially and football-wise. We need to make our mark in Europe."

"We weathered the early storm, kept our discipline and denied Copenhagen space. The team showed phenomenal character. Copenhagen are a good well-organised athletic side but we knew we were better than we showed at Ibrox."

Asked if he fancied coming up against his old boss Sir Alex Ferguson in the Champions League McLeish was sharp in his reply.

"I'd rather avoid them until the final."

FC Copenhagen: Raboczki, Albrechtsen, Svensson, Tobiasen, Rooba, Norregaard, Nielsen, Mykland, Roll Larsen, Jonsson, Zuma

Subs: Kihlstedt, Pettersson, Zivkovic, Christiansen, Svard, Moller, Dos Santos

Rangers: Klos, Ricksen, Berg, Khizanishvili, Ball, Arteta, Ferguson, Nerlinger, Arveladze, de Boer, Mols

Subs: Malcolm, Vanoli, Thompson, Capucho, Ross, McGregor, Hughes

Referee: Zeljko Siric (Croatia)