LOOK out the atlases and dig out the passports – Rangers are back in the Champions League.
After the disappointment of falling to CSKA Moscow at the same hurdle last season, McLeish and his men can now look forward to six games against the cream of Europe, their three group opponents to be decided in tomorrow afternoon’s draw in Monaco.
A bumper crowd had filed in to Ibrox expecting to see their side secure their passage through to that lucrative group stage without too much difficulty but they had to wait before they could truly enjoy the occasion.
In fact, in the early stages it was as comfortable for Rangers as sleeping on a bed of nails with a cactus for a duvet as Anorthosis pushed from kick-off looking to eradicate Rangers’ single-lead first-leg advantage as quickly as possible.
At the core of every move was player-manager Temuri Ketsbaia whose sprightly darts from midfield and powerful long-range shooting belied the creaking limbs of a man approaching 38 years old.
After bleating about Rangers in the press, the man nicknamed The Volcano was booed by the home support with every touch but the barracking did little to dilute his influence on proceedings and, in truth, he was very unfortunate not to net in an eventful first half.
He signalled his intent after just 13 minutes with a ferocious drive from almost 30 yards that left Ronald Waterreus’ left-hand post shuddering and moments later he was threatening again as he raced onto Nicos Nicolaou’s pass and thumped an effort goalwards that the keeper did well to block.
Rangers, by this point, had been reduced to playing the role of anxious spectators and Ketsbaia was only inches away from earning his side a penalty when his run was illegally halted by a clumsy intervention from Jose-Karl Pierre-Fanfan – who was subsequently booked – just outside the box.
The Georgian playmaker, by now being man-marked by Ian Murray, must have felt his luck was truly out when, in the final moment of the half, he watched another powerful shot parried by Waterreus.
Nicos Frousos looked certain to collect the rebound but, as he waited for the ball to drop, he collided with Julien Rodriguez and the chance was lost.
Goalscoring chances for Rangers had been about as rare as a Cypriot without a tan but what attacks they did muster up usually centred around Prso.
It doesn’t bear thinking how the Light Blues would cope without the talismanic Croatian and after a fruitless half hour he took matters into his own hands with a slaloming run across the edge of the Anorthosis penalty box before zipping in a left-foot shot that squirted just wide.
Prso seems to have almost single-handedly dragged Rangers through the early stages of this season but he showed that even he is human with a surprising miss after 29 minutes when he stooped to connect with Barry Ferguson’s free kick but somehow headed wide.
Moments later the pair combined again with the same result – a Prso header wide – before the ever-eager striker curled a sweet effort just wide from the corner of the penalty box.
Buffel had been the creator on that occasion but he turned executor 60 seconds later when Rangers went in front.
The Belgian seemed to have been pushed too far wide left as he latched onto Novo’s flicked pass but, as goalkeeper Antonis Georgallides advanced, Buffel expertly dinked a shot over his head and into the back of the net.
It was perhaps harsh on an Anorthosis side who had certainly enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges and they could have been two down moments before the break when Novo rounded the keeper and slid a shot across the front of the goal but found no willing runners following up.
Protecting a 3-1 aggregate lead, Rangers’ confidence seemed to sprout and they could have had a second goal early in the second half, Novo failing to make clean contact with Fernando Ricksen’s cross and sending the ball spiralling over the bar.
A second goal was only moments away, however, and when it arrived it was truly a moment to treasure.
The plaudits belonged entirely to the tireless Prso who collected a pass on the fringes of the Anorthosis box, stepped inside Nicos Katsavakis, cut back the other way before slamming a right-foot shot high past Georgallides.
It was a special goal and one that sparked memories of Ronald de Boer in his prime as Prso toyed with the defender before applying the clinical finish.
It would prove to be Prso’s last involvement in the action and he was replaced after 66 minutes by Steven Thompson, departing to the loudest cheer of the evening.
With Anorthosis visibly wilting – drained both mentally and physically after their energetic start – Rangers had chances to extend their lead with Georgallides plunging low to block a firm Buffel strike before Novo finished weakly after being played in by Ian Murray.
By then the Cypriot spark had been truly extinguished and Rangers coasted through the closing moments to take their place in tomorrow’s Champions League draw as the famous theme music bellowed out over the Ibrox PA system.
RANGERS (4-4-2): 25 Waterreus; 2 Ricksen, 18 Pierre-Fanfan, 16 Rodriguez, 3 Ball; 10 Novo, 6 Ferguson, 24 Murray (Rae 85), 26 Lovenkrands; 9 Prso (Thompson 66) 4 Buffel (McCormack 73)
Subs not used: Klos, Andrews, Malcolm, Khizanishvili
Booked: Pierre-Fanfan (23), McCormack (75)
ANORTHOSIS FAMAGUSTA (4-5-1): 1 Giorgallides; 7 Poursaitidis, 78 Louka, 4 Katsavakis, 20 Xenidis,; 9 Tsitaishvili (Tsolakides 72), 14 Ketsbaia (Samaras 64), 16 Marangos (Constantinou 51), 5 Nicolaou, 6 Haber; 11 Frousos
Subs not used: Nagy, Markou, Parmakis, Kampantais
Booked: Poursaitidis (29)
Man of the Match: Dado Prso