CHAMPIONS LEAGUE THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND, SECOND LEG Malmo 1 Rangers 1 (Malmo win 2-1 on aggregate):RANGERS' Champions League hopes were shattered last night as they crashed out at the hands of Malmo after being reduced to nine men at the Swedbank Stadium.
Steven Whittaker and Madjid Bougherra were both shown straight red cards, before Malmo’s Ricardinho was also dismissed by referee Vladislav Bezborodov.
Nikica Jelavic cancelled out Daniel Larsson’s strike from last week’s clash in Glasgow, but it was Jiloan Hamad who had the final say, with Rangers forced to settle for a Europa League play-off spot.
Rangers were dealt a blow ahead of the match when Dorin Goian was ruled out through injury just hours after being cleared by Uefa to take part.
Their task was made even more difficult when Whittaker was shown a straight red card after 18 minutes for throwing the ball at Figueiredo after the referee had given a free-kick for a Bougherra foul on Larsson.
Rangers still took the lead on 23 minutes. Maurice Edu provided the cross and Jelavic finished well with a volley .
Rangers then had another player sent off after 65 minutes when Bougherra was shown a straight red card for a challenge on substitute Dardan Rexhepi.
Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor was unable to prevent a curving effort from Hamad from finding the back of the net with 10 minutes to go to secure Malmo’s passage to the play-offs.
MALMO: Melicharek, Andersson, Ricardinho, Jansson, Mutavdzic (D Rexhepi, 46, J Aubynn, 69), Figueiredo, Hamad, Pekalski, Durmaz, Larsson, Mehmeti (F Stenstrom, 34).
RANGERS: McGregor, Papac, Bougherra, Juanma Ortiz (K Hemmings, 84), Wallace, Whittaker, McCulloch, Edu, Davis, Jelavic, Naismith.
Referee: V Bezborodov(Russia).
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