Shine taken off Gers win

Rangers celebrate Lorenzo Amoruso's opening goal

Rangers 3-1 Dinamo Moscow

Rangers' happy memories of Dinamo Moscow continued as they gave themselves a two-goal cushion to take to Russia for the second leg of their Uefa Cup tie.

But they conceded a stoppage time goal by Rolan Gusev that means there could yet be some nervous moments when the Scottish outfit brave sub-zero temperatures in Moscow in a fortnight.

Lorenzo Amoruso, Michael Ball and Ronald de Boer had set up Rangers at Ibrox for what looked like being a healthy lead.

Yet, while not as famous as the 3-2 victory over Dinamo in the final of the European Cup-winners' Cup back in 1972, it was a thoroughly deserved win for Dick Advocaat's side.

The Rangers manager had made two changes from the one that beat Kilmarnock on Saturday.

Ronald de Boer shows his delight at scoring

Amoruso was back from suspension and replaced Ball in defence.

Striker Shota Arveladze was ineligible and that left the way open for de Boer to put in an impressive performance up front.

Alexander Tochilin powered in a 30-yard effort straight at Stefan Klos as the team lying ninth in the Russian league showed the kind of threat that recently allowed them to thrash Anzhi, the team Rangers had struggled to beat in the previous round.

Amoruso had already fired a free kick a few yards wide before the Italian broke the deadlock after eight minutes.

Claudio Reyna floated in a free kick, Craig Moore headed against the outside of the post and Amoruso drove the ball low from an acute angle under the body of goalkeeper Vasily Khonutovsky and it crept over the goal-line.

There were fears for the condition of Moore as he fell awkwardly and was taken off on a stretcher with his neck in a brace.

But the Australian returned to the pitch a couple of minutes later.

Rangers were unlucky in the 13th minute when Tore Andre Flo was just caught offside as he finished off a delightful move.

Dynamo remained a threat and Petr Bystrov's powerful, curling free kick from 25 yards was heading for the top corner until Klos fisted the ball clear.

Michael Ball drives his free kick home

Reyna should have done better than screw his effort wide from eight yards under a late challenge from Zsolt Hornyak.

Moore at times still looked a bit unsteady and was replaced by Ball at half-time.

It was Dinamo who were more positive in the early minutes of the second half and Tochilin's curling, first-time effort from 25 yards forced Klos to beat the ball away.

Yet it was Rangers who went further ahead after 61 minutes.

Ball fired in a left-foot free-kick from 22 yards and it took a deflection off the arm of Samberas and past the helpless goalkeeper.

Rangers went further ahead 10 minutes from the end when de Boer got his head to a Reyna cross into the six-yard box and Khonutovsky could not get enough of his hand on the ball to prevent it entering the net.

Caniggia had a chance to put the tie beyond doubt but sent his drive wide of the far post before Boulykin's fortunate pass found Gusev stealing in at the back post.

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Rangers: Klos, Moore, Konterman, Amoruso, Ricksen, Reyna, Ferguson, Numan, Caniggia, de Boer, Flo. Subs: Christiansen, McCann, Kanchelskis, Ball, Latapy, Ross, Vidmar.

Dinamo Moscow: Khomutovski, Semberas, Zharinov, Zchutautas, Hornyak, Gusev, Tochilin, Nemov, Grishin, Bystrov, Boulykin. Subs: Kramarenko, Medvedev, Novikov, Klyuev, Dyatel, Chesnauskis, Eugeni Kharlachev.

Referee: Stephane Bre (Bretagne)