Rangers still in hunt

Vfb Stuttgart ... 3 Rangers ... 2:Rangers' bid to qualify for the knockout stages will go right to the wire after they lost in Stuttgart last night. Walter Smith's men now need at least a draw when Lyon come calling in the final group match on December 12th after the French champions earned a draw against Barcelona.

Kevin Thomson had been suspended for Rangers' last European outing in Barcelona, but was back in the starting line-up, meaning Adam had to settle for a place on the bench.

Jean-Claude Darcheville - who was on the scoresheet against Falkirk at the weekend - was deployed in the lone striker role ahead of Daniel Cousin, who performed the task in the defeat at the Nou Camp.

Stuttgart were without influential striker Mario Gomez, who was ruled out with a rib injury. They came into last night's fixture without a single point in Group E, but on the back of five straight wins in the Bundesliga - including a 3-1 win over Bayern Munich.

Rangers took the lead through substitute Charlie Adam before Stuttgart hit back through Cacau. Barry Ferguson then cancelled out Pavel Pardo's strike before Ciprian Marica clinched the win late on.

Lee McCulloch was forced out of the action with just 26 minutes gone - limping off the park after he was the victim of an Andreas Beck tackle. And Rangers lost a second player moments after half-time when DaMarcus Beasley was hurt in a collision with Stuttgart goalkeeper Raphael Schafer.

VFB STUTTGART:Schafer, Beck, Fernando Meira, Delpierre, Magnin, Hilbert (Ewerthon 83), Pardo, Hitzlsperger, Khedira (Da Silva 46), Marica, Cacau (Tasci 87). Subs not used: Langer, Osorio, Meissner, Farnerud. Booked: Magnin.

RANGERS:McGregor, Hutton, Cuellar, Weir, Papac, Hemdani, Beasley (Naismith 49), Ferguson, Thomson, McCulloch (Adam 26), Darcheville (Cousin 82). Subs not used: Carroll, Boyd, Broadfoot, Whittaker. Booked: McCulloch, Adam, Hutton.

Referee:D Ceferin (Slovenia).