RANGERS have finished top of Group A with 10 points after beating Partizan Belgrade 1-0 at Ibrox Stadium tonight.
Partizan, who had already finished their league season and were planted at the foot of the UEFA Cup table, showed glimpses of quality but the Light Blues thoroughly deserved their win in horrendous conditions.
Le Gaffer made five changes to the side that faced Hibs on Saturday with Thomas Buffel, Makhtar N’Diaye, Filip Sebo, Gavin Rae and Julien Rodriguez all included in the starting eleven.
Barry Ferguson dropped out of the squad completely while Jeremy Clement, Dado Prso, Libor Sionko and Charlie Adam were on the bench.
Straight from the kick-off Sebo, playing alongside Novo in attack, made his presence felt and you see the Slovakian’s determination to find the net but it was not to be the Slovakians night in front of goal.
But despite the poor conditions underfoot, Partizan showed signs in the opening stages that they were a good outfit and they should have taken the lead after only seven minutes.
Winger Nebojsa Marinkovic picked the ball up on the right wing at the end of a swift counter attack and his delightful back-post cross was perfect for Nanad Mirosavljevic but the striker’s header from eight yards was poor to say the least.
The same players combined again 15 minutes later but on this occasion his header had the power, but not the accuracy, and had Allan McGregor scampering across his goal.
Rae, who was named as captain for tonight’s fixture, tried to inspire his side and was centimetres away from opening the scoring two minutes later.
The midfielder played a neat one-two with Sebo which took him through the Partizan defence and his right-foot prod beat keeper Asperogenis but hit the post.
With the match sitting goalless prior to the half-hour mark it seemed that the stage was set for Sebo to fire home his third Rangers’ goal.
Thomas Buffel played the ball over the head of the Partizan defence to the striker who had peeled away from his marker.
He controlled the ball perfectly with his chest but his right-foot shot from 12 yards was well saved as was his rebound. It was good play from the Gers no. 23 who looked to the heavens and beat the ground in frustration at not finding the net.
Rangers continued to push forward in search of an opening goal and Novo was guilty of squandering a guilt edged chance three minutes before the half-time interval.
Buffel fed the ball to the Spaniard who found space on the left wing but, having made his way into the 18-yard box, his weak effort was easily blocked by the keeper.
Le Guen made no changes to his side for the start of the second period and they immediately put pressure of the Partizan backline without creating any clearcut chances.
This, however, all changed on 54 minutes when the home side opened the scoring from an unlikely source.
Novo swung in a low free-kick from the right and the Gers’ full-back stooped to head the ball majestically into the top corner of the net.
It was only Alan’s second goal for the club, his first came against Dunfermline on March 23, 2004, and he clearly enjoyed celebrating with the fans in the Copland Road Stand.
Partizan immediately came to life after going behind and McGregor had to be sharp to save a powerful 25 yard shot from midfielder Ivan Tomic.
Le Guen elected to make his first change of the match by taking off Novo and giving Libor Sionko a run-out while Partizan gaffer Miodrag Jesic also made a couple of changes to his side.
The tempo of the game dropped as the 70 minute mark approached with Rangers content to hold on to their advantage safe in the knowledge that the Serbian side would have two score two to stop them topping Group A.
Buffel, however, showed his desire to double his side’s lead and was unlucky with a near post effort which the keeper did well to palm around the post.
The substitutions kept coming and the fans gave Hutton a rapturous applause when he was replaced by 18-year-old Alan Lowing.
It was a great moment for the Rutherglen-born youngster who missed most of 2006 with a groin injury after making his first-team debut during Alex McLeish’s rein.
The manager was also to hand Frenchman William Stanger his debut with only 10 minutes remaining.
Rangers looked comfortable in the final stages of the match although Svensson had to be sharp to clear a Marko Lomic effort off the goalline in the final five minutes while McGregor also showed a safe pair of hands when Nemad Marinkovic fired a low shot from 20 yards..
Overall it was a case of job done for the Light Blues who will now wait until tomorrow at 12 noon to find out who they will meet in the last 32 stage of the tournament.
RANGERS: McGregor, Smith, Svensson, Rodriguez, Hutton (Lowing 75); Novo (Sionko 65), Rae, Hemdani, N’Diaye; Sebo, Buffel (Stanger 79)
Subs Not Used: Klos, Clement, Prso, Adam, Stanger
Bookings: Smith (82)
PARTIZAN BELGRADE: Asperogenis, Djordjevic, Zajic,Mihajlov Lomic; Marinkovic (Vukelja 68), Tomic, Rnic, Bosancic (Marinkovic 67); Mirosavljevic, Smiljanic
Subs Not Used: Jahic, Markovski, Lazic, Radovanovic, Gulan
Bookings: None
Referee: Ruud Bossen (Netherlands)
Attd: 45,129
Man of the Match: Brahim Hemdani