Feyenoord edge out Rangers

Pierre van Hooijdonk (centre) scored with free kicks

Feyenoord 3-2 Rangers (Aggregate: 4-3)

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Former Celtic striker Pierre van Hooijdonk came back to haunt Rangers with two stunning free kicks that helped send the other half of the Old Firm crashing out of the Uefa Cup.

Neil McCann had given the Scottish outfit an early lead before Van Hooijdonk showed that anything David Beckham can do, he can do too.

Bonaventure Kalou added a third shortly after the break, but Barry Ferguson gave Rangers hope from the penalty spot.

Partick Paauwe was sent off at that point, but McCann followed soon later and with that the chance of a superb fightback.

Ronald de Boer and Bert Konterman had won their fitness battles to take their places in the Rangers line-up.

Neil McCann scored the opening goal

Feyenoord were without striker Jon Dahl Thomasson through suspension, with midfielder Robin van Persie coming in.

Their scorer at Ibrox, Shinji Ono, was able to shrug off a thigh injury to start and should have put his side ahead after three minutes but headed just over.

Rangers should have had a penalty after 11 minutes, when Peter Lovenkrands ghosted past a couple of markers before being bodychecked by Paauwe only for German referee Herbert Fandel to wave away the protests.

The visitors took the lead after 26 minutes, when Ferguson curled a free kick into the box.

McCann cleverly guided the ball with his instep into the far corner of the net.

The tie looked to have swung Rangers' way until van Hooijdonk struck after 37 minutes.

Scott Wilson, deputising for the suspended Fernando Ricksen, appeared to have been harshly penalised for a challenge on the striker.

But there was no doubting the excellence of the finish as Van Hooijdonk curled the free kick over the wall and into the corner.

Neil McCann was sent off for dissent

Matters got worse for Rangers a minute later, the gamble with De Boer failing with the Dutch international having to go off injured to be replaced by Michael Mols.

Van Hooijdonk compounded their misery in the dying seconds after Tony Vidmar appeared to have been harshly penalised for a tackle on Van Persie.

A carbon copy of Van Hooijdonk's earlier free kick put the Dutch ahead.

Feyenoord looked to have killed the game a minute into the second half.

Van Persie again tormented Vidmar and, when his curling effort struck the post, Van Hooijdonk sent in a cross that was headed home by Kalou.

Rangers were provided with a lifeline after 54 minutes, when Paauwe slipped chasing a through ball and pulled down Mols inside the box.

Ferguson repeated his penalty antics from the first leg by sending the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.

Rangers were now in control, but McCann was shown a second yellow card for dissent after 72 minutes and the visitors lost their one man advantage and the match.

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Feyenoord: Zoetebier, Emerton, Rzasa, Paauwe, Loovens, Kalou, van Wonderen, van Persie, Bosvelt, Ono, van Hooijdonk. Subs: Timmer, Aros, Leonardo, Elmander, Smolarek, Korneev, Sprockel.

Rangers: Klos, Wilson, Amoruso, Vidmar, Caniggia, Konterman, Numan, Ferguson, de Boer, McCann, Lovenkrands. Subs: McGregor, Flo, Mols, Kanchelskis, Ross, Hughes, Dodds.

Referee: Herbert Fandel.