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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: RANGERS BEAT ZETA IN SECOND ROUND QUALIFIER August 8, 2007
(SomaliNet) In the second qualifying round of the Champions League with a low drive from DaMarcus Beasley to progress 3-0 on aggregate, Rangers emerged as comfortable 1-0 victors over FK Zeta.
According to news sources, Beasley came inside from the left to strike inside the near post from 18 yards and guarantee Gers' passage with nine minutes left on the clock.
Down 2-0 from the first leg at Ibrox, Zeta needed three goals without reply to progress but could not find a cutting edge in attack.
The Scottish side were content to fill the midfield with bodies and deny space to their opponents before hitting on the counter-attack.
In the ninth minute Lee McCulloch had the first shot on goal, but his attempted volley from distance was yards wide. That chance came from the work of Kevin Thomson, who looked for the feet of Jean-Claude Darchville when possible as he carved attacks for the visitors.
Beasley provided the closest effort in the first period as he looked for a quick-fire one-two and unleashed a shot just wide of the far post, halfway up.
Slaven Stjepanovic and Zarko Korac were the main threat at the other end, linking well with the sprightly Stjepanovic bringing the ball forward from deep.
However the outstanding contribution in attack from the home team came from Marko Cetkovic, who did brilliantly to muscle past three defenders into the box and put in Bojan Ivanovic.
His shot from an angle was saved low by Allan McGregor and could easily have brough the opening goal.
The Rangers 'keeper's steady hands were not in evidence less than minute later as he watched a high looping ball come down. With little pressure from the attackers he missed it completely and was lucky to grab the ball at the second attempt.
The other goalie on the field was again having a nightmare, as happened in Glasgow. Sasa Ivanovic showed himself to lack the spirit for a challenge as he allowed a slowly rolling ball to go through his legs even though he reached it well before an opponent.
Darcheville was unfortunate not to score just before the half as he received a passed Barry Ferguson free-kick and spun to shoot, but was thwarted at the last by a desperate Montenegrin challenge. He looked for a penalty but his appeal was as heartless as that of Stjepanovic seconds later after an outrageous fall in the Gers box.
David Weir was tall at the heart of Walter Smith's defence as the Zeta challenge in the tie disappeared.
Korac tried to direct a header at goal but could not quite climb high enough and a fast sprint out of the goalmouth by McGregor prevented Stjepanovic as he finally found space behind the backline.
If the match looked all but over with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining, Stjepanovic did not show it after Kirk Broadfoot - who had already received a yellow card - caught him in the penalty area with a lunge at the ball.
The forward went to ground and was incredulous when the referee refused him a penalty kick, earning himself a booking with his protestations.
Soon after Thomson and Ferguson exchanged passes before feeding Beasley, who scored to secure a final qualifying round match against either Serbian club Red Star Belgrade or Estonian side Levadia Tallinn, who face off on Wednesday.
Substitute Nacho Novo missed a sitter late on for Rangers after he was slipped through on the right by the impressive Thomson.-Eurosport