ECL: Rangers and Kiev flop

Scottish giants Rangers and Ukrainian heavyweights Dynamo Kiev were the biggest name casualties after the third qualifying round of the Champions League second leg matches on Wednesday.

Rangers failed to defy history in overcoming a 1-0 loss at home in the first leg in drawing 1-1 against Malmo in Sweden to bow out 2-1 on aggregate - their cause not helped by finishing the match with nine players.

Ally McCoist's side will now join rivals Celtic in the final qualifying round for the Europa League group stages.

Dynamo Kiev - semi-finalists in 1999 - never looked like overturning the 2-0 first leg deficit against Russian side Rubin Kazan and went out tamely losing 2-1 on the night leaving the victors within sight of their third successive appearance in the group stages.

Another former regular group stage performer Norway's Rosenborg also went out as they lost 3-2 away at unheralded Czech side Plzen to go out 4-2 on aggregate.

That trio joined Greek giants Panathinaikos in being surprise losers - Panathinaikos had lost a seven goal thriller at home to Danish side Odense on Tuesday to bow out 5-4 on aggregate.

ORIGINAL SOURCE

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