Rangers found wanting

Rangers 1 Panathinaikos 3European football is already a distant memory for Rangers after an ignominious home defeat left their UEFA Cup dreams in tatters.

The Champions League was already a lost cause when Panathinaikos visited here but a draw or a win would have maintained a presence for the Scottish club in the lesser tournament. In the end they couldn't muster either.

Rangers had taken the lead through Michael Mols only to be pegged back, and then overtaken, by an ordinary Greek team.

Only a lecture for Ioannis Goumas for a foul on Nuno Capucho and a shot well wide from Angelos Basinas had constituted anything resembling action early on.

So when Rangers took the lead after 28 minutes there was a stunned silence. Michael Ball's throw-in was returned by Capucho, the defender then delivered a fine cross and Mols's header was too powerful for Antonis Nikopolidis.

Rangers, though, soon paid for not pressing home their advantage.

There seemed no particular danger as Markus Munch meandered down the left before sending an inviting cut-back into the path of Raimondas Zutautas, whose fierce low drive beat Stefan Klos.

After 62 minutes Rangers went behind to a stunning goal. Elias Sapanis released Basinas and he unleashed a drive from 35 yards that eluded Klos's efforts.

The home team were further stunned after 80 minutes when Joel Epalle sent Michalis Konstantinou on his way and the striker beat Klos easily to make it 3-1.

RANGERS: Klos, Ross (Duffy 84), Berg, Khizanishvili (Vanoli 66), Ball, Burke (Ostenstad 70), Ricksen, Hughes, Lovenkrands, Capucho, Mols. Subs Not Used: McGregor, Malcolm, Gibson, Steven Smith. Booked: Ricksen. Goals: Mols 28.

PANATHINAIKOS: Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Goumas, Henriksen, Maurice, Munch, Sanmartean (Epalle 45), Basinas, Zutautas, Sapanis (Vlaovic 78), Konstantinou. Subs Not Used: Kotsolis, Warzycha, Gitas, Konstantinidis, Michaelsen. Booked: Sanmartean, Munch. Goals: Zutautas 32, Basinas 62, Konstantinou 80.

Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany).