Madjid Bougherra rescues Rangers

Madjid Bougherra rescues Rangers

Madjid Bougherra scored a superb equaliser as Rangers got their Champions League campaign off to a good start with a 1-1 draw in Stuttgart.

The defender drove home with 13 minutes to go after Walter Smith's men had gone behind to Pavel Pogrebnyak's strike in the first half of the Group G clash in Germany.

Stuttgart flew out of the traps and could have been a goal to the good inside the opening minute but Allan McGregor saved well from Cacau.

Markus Babbel's men did open the scoring with 18 minutes on the clock, however, when the dangerous Cacau pulled the ball back for Pogrebnyak on the edge of the box and the Russian forward fired low past McGregor.

Cacua hit the side netting before Walter Smith's men finally created a decent opening two minutes after the break when Jerome Rothen's excellent centre from the right picked out Sasa Papac in the area but the defender sent his diving header off target.

Another Rothen cross almost caught Jens Lehmann out at his near post as Rangers piled on the pressure in the closing stages - and they got their reward in the 77th minute when a fine passing move finished with Bougherra breaking into the area and lashing past Lehmann.

Gers could even have won it but Steven Davis' 20-yard drive hit the base of the post with a minute to go.