Aberdeen 0 - 2 Rangers

Aberdeen kicked off and almost made a sensational start within two minutes. Moore was short with a pass to Boumsong and Mackie pounced only to be denied by Klos at the edge of the box. A minute later there were half-hearted claims for a spot kick as McNaughton tumbled in the box but the award would have been soft. The positive start continued, as Foster broke on the left in the 5th minute but couldn't quite cut his cross back into the danger area. Two minutes later Mackie won the first corner of the match, but the Rangers defence cleared easily.

The Dons were playing the better football at this stage with Rangers looking nervous and hesitant. Rangers started to settle and won their first corner of the match in the 14th minute. The danger was cleared and a minute later Rangers threatened again from a free kick on the right, but once again the keeper wasn't tested. Thompson went close in the 16th minute when he turned Russell Anderson and hit a low drive inches past the upright. Vanoli then tried from distance but his effort was well off target as Rangers began to take control.

Craig went on another lung bursting run on the half hour mark and steered the ball wide of the goal with Mackie in support. Aberdeen suffered a blow in the 44th minute when Steven Craig limped off and was replaced by Muirhead. Worse was to follow a minute later when Kenny Clark adjudged that Phil McGuire had pushed Arveladze 22 yards out. Once the protests had died down Ricksen fired the ball high into the net to give the visitors a lead they barely deserved.

Chris Burke caused problems in the opening minutes and his trickery provided a chance before the ball was scrambled clear. In the fourth minute Severin appeared to be taken out of play as he rose to meet a Tosh cross inside the box. Mr Clark was uninterested and play raged on. Four minutes later Adams managed to get a foot to a McNaughton delivery but was unable to steer the ball past Klos. Rangers had upped the tempo now and threatened with a couple of corners. Aberdeen went closest with their own corner on the hour mark. Severin bulleted Adams delivery goal wards only to be denied by an instinctive block by Klos.

Aberdeen were getting closer but couldn't find the net. In the 74th minute it was Adams that tried to chip Klos but the ball sailed inches over the bar with the keeper beaten. Two minutes later a Hart cross caused all sorts of problems but once again no one could turn the ball into the net. Ricksen almost made it two in the 79th minute from another free kick. Preece fumbled the effort (his first save of the half) but was bravely down to gather the loose ball. A minute later Muirhead had a glimpse of goal but wanted too much time and the ball was scrambled clear. Another chance went begging in the 82nd minute when a terrific run from Foster saw the youngster produce a telling cross that only required the faintest of touches to turn it into the net. Unfortunately the Dons strikers were unable to connect.

Muirhead went a lot closer in the 87th minute when he fired a low shot inches wide of the post with Klos scrambling across his goal. The victory was assured in the 89th minute when Thompson grabbed a late second to send Rangers through to the next round. Adams had a chance for a consolation a minute later but didn't get any power behind his shot. The Dons kept attacking to the final whistle but it wasn't to be their night. Deep into injury time Bob Malcolm was dismissed for a second yellow card offence.