VfB Stuttgart eliminate Rangers with 2-0 win

By Kenny MacDonald

GLASGOW - VfB Stuttgart eliminated Rangers from the Champions League with a 2-0 away win on Tuesday which kept alive the German side's hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

Stuttgart, who have six points and are third in Group G, need to beat Unirea Urziceni at home in their final game on December 9 to progress. Romania's Urziceni have eight points, two behind group leaders Sevilla.

Rangers, whose previous Champions League home games this season ended in 4-1 defeats -- against Sevilla and Unirea -- have two points.

Stuttgart fired out their early intent when Cacau forced a brilliant save from Rangers keeper Allan McGregor.

The hosts failed to heed the warning and Sebastian Rudy side-footed an easy opening goal after 16 minutes when he was left unmarked 10 metres out on the right to pounce on a low ball from Aleksandr Hleb.

Rangers striker Kris Boyd passed up a fabulous chance to level the game six minutes from the interval after Kenny Miller seized on a poor pass from Pavel Pogrebnyak on the right and charged forward to sweep in an inviting cross from the right. But Boyd planted a seven metre header over the crossbar with only keeper Jens Lehmann to beat.

Stuttgart went 2-0 up Zdravko Kuzmanovic headed the second just before the hour from a fine cross on the right by Rudy.

The away side had chances to add to their lead. McGregor parried a powerful 25-metre shot from Cacau and somehow managed to thrust out a leg while grounded to divert the rebound from Pogrebnyak to safety.

McGregor then pulled off another smart save when he managed to block a fierce low shot from the right by substitute Thomas Hitzlsperger.