Rangers Chasing A Scottish First

When Glasgow Rangers step out in Manchester Walter Smith's squad will be attempting to become the first Scottish winners of the UEFA Cup. This is onlythe third occasion a Scottish side has appeared in the Final.

Celtic were the first Scottish club to bag a trophy in Europe with their unforgetable European Cup triumph in 1967. Rangers followed their great rivals by lifting the Cup-Winners Cup five years later and Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen did the same in 1983.

Since the Dons win, the cupboard has been bare. Dundee United reached the UEFA Cup Final in 1987 and Celtic got there in 2003- both were defeated at the last.

Jim McClean's Tannadice side were in a purple patch where they and Aberdeen had given Scottish football a 'Big 4', as they competed on level terms with the Old Firm. The Tangerines had been to the European Cup semi-finals in 1984, so they had plenty of experience. Barcelona were their victims in the last eight.

They were beaten 2-1 on aggregate in what was then a two-leg Final  by IFK Gothenberg, who were then arguably the best side ever to come out of Sweden. IFK had won the same trophy in 1982.

More recently Henrik Larsson inspired Celtic to a Final in Seville after beating Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers on the way.  Their 3-2 defeat to Porto brought the name of Jose Mourinho to the fore for the first time.

Rangers have been in two losing Cup-Winners Cup Finals (1961 and 1967) to go with the one they won. Remarkably both Glasgow giants were in European Finals in 1967. Before this season Rangers best in the UEFA Cup was reaching the 4th Round.