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UEFA Champions League: Rangers win 2-0 to go through 4-1 on aggregate [Thu Aug 25th, 2005]
Glasgow (Reuters) - Rangers sealed a coveted place in the UEFA Champions League with a 2-0 win over Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta.
The Scottish champions' victory in the second leg of the third qualifying round tie put them through 4-1 on aggregate and manager Alex McLeish said he now wants his side to become "synonymous with the Champions League."
"We are delighted to get through the tie, because it was a wee bit edgy at times," McLeish told BBC Scotland TV.
"It's great (to be in the group stage) and fantastic, exciting, we know that. But we have a lot to do to become much better, although we are on the right lines.
"It isn't enough for us just to be there, we want to give teams problems, especially when they come here... and get through the Champions League."
Rangers survived an early scare, when Famagusta's Georgian player-coach Temuri Ketsbaia rattled the right post with a fierce, rising shot from more than 30 metres, before going ahead six minutes from the interval.
Belgian Thomas Buffel scored a fine goal when he ended a diagonal run into the box by clipping a neat shot over stranded keeper Antonis Giorgallides.
Rangers dominated the second period and Croatian striker Dado Prso sealed their 10-million-pound (US$18 million) Champions League windfall with a wonder strike.
Prso raced at goal from the left after gathering the ball 40 metres out and weaved one way then the other before curling a shot high around the keeper and into the right side of the net.
Former Newcastle United and Dundee midfielder Ketsbaia, who hit the bar in the 14th minute, came close again two minutes later. He broke free on the left of the box but his shot at the near post was blocked by Rangers' Dutch keeper Ronald Waterreus.
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