UEFA Cup: Rangers - Fiorentina

Highlights

Draw Match in Glasgow

Rangers and Fiorentina played out a dreadfully dismal goalless draw in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final at Ibrox, a game in which neither side created a decent chance of note.

Rangers Coach Walter Smith had real selection problems going into this game as captain Barry Ferguson and Kevin Thomson were suspended, while Andy Webster, Charlie Adam, Chris Burke, Steven Naismith, Lee McCulloch and DaMarcus Beasley were out injured. Neil Alexander started in goal for his first European appearance for the club in place of the sidelined Allan McGregor.

Fiorentina were handed a massive boost when Czech defender Tomas Ujfalusi passed a late fitness test, but they were without Marco Donadel and Daniele Cacia, due to suspension and injury respectively.

Fiorentina made a bright start to the game, dominating possession, and Martin Jorgensen strode forward from right back and fired well over from 30 yards.

Adrian Mutu found space just outside the area and hit a left foot snapshot, but it was easy for Alexander. Giampaolo Pazzini then looked destined to score as Zdravko Kuzmanovic nodded the ball on to him just six yards out, but Carlos Cuellar made a superb goal-saving tackle.

It took until the 15th minute for Rangers to make any inroad into Fiorentina territory as Jean-Claude Darcheville left Alessandro Gamberini for dead, but his cross was gathered by Sebastien Frey.

Steven Whittaker then pounced on a misplaced Kuzmanovic pass, and slashed a shot wide from outside the area. Riccardo Montolivo did the same down the other end with the aid of a deflection.

Jorgensen was bombing forward at every opportunity, and he cut inside from the right and stung Alexander's palms with a well-struck effort.

Mutu came to life on the half-hour mark, bursting through the heart of the Rangers defence, and he would have been through on goal were it not for Pazzini’s weak return pass. The Romanian then deliberately handled the ball trying to head in a Kuzmanovic cross, and he was perhaps fortunate to escape a yellow card that would have ruled him out of the second leg.

Fiorentina continued to dominate possession, and Kuzmanovic was the next to try his luck with a low shot that flashed wide.

Five minutes before the break Mario Alberto Santana thought he was in on goal, but Alexander was quick off his line.

Into the second half and Frey also had to be alert to sweep up Kirk Broadfoot’s raking pass before it reached Nacho Novo. Novo also tried to catch Frey off his line from fully 40 yards, but his effort was well over.

Rangers were now having their best spell of the match, but they were still creating desperately little. Novo then had a rush of blood, slicing horribly wide in a promising attacking position.

On the hour mark Walter Smith tried to freshen up his team, replacing both Novo and Darcheville for Thomas Buffel and Daniel Cousin.

These substitutions didn't have the desired effect as Fiorentina began to have more of the ball again. On 75 minutes Mutu had the best attempt of what had been a truly dismal game with a 35-yard free-kick that Alexander dived low to his right to save.

Christian Vieri was unleashed off the bench for the final 10 minutes, and with his first touch fired a deflected free-kick over the bar.

The closing stages of the match were played out with virtually no incident, although Mutu did miss his kick inside the area in injury time.

The tie remains in the balance ahead of next week's second leg in Florence, even if Fiorentina will be the favourites to go through to the final.