Battling Rangers reach UEFA Cup last 8

BREMEN, Germany -- Scottish giants Rangers booked their place in the UEFA Cup quarterfinals after a dramatic 90-minute rearguard action at Werder Bremen on Thursday.

Defeat by the only goal was just enough to see Walter Smith's side through on aggregate following their 2-0 first leg victory at Ibrox.

It was one-way traffic from the start but the Rangers defense stood tall until the 58th minute when Diego found the back of the net.

Werder kept pressing and hit the crossbar through Boubacar Sanogo five minutes from time -- but the Scottish Premier leaders prevailed.

"One, two three goals, we had the chances, but we didn't do it," Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said. "The fact is, we aren't scoring those goals."

The goal cam when Diego flipped the ball to the side to escape two defenders before driving a powerful shot past goalkeeper Allan McGregor inside the far post.

Bremen, second in the Bundesliga, dominated the first half, with Daniel Jensen and Sebastian Boensisch sending shots wide, Hugo Almeida heading over the bar and Markus Rosenberg forcing McGregor into a save.

Tim Borowski also volleyed over from close range and McGregor stopped another shot from Jensen.

McGregor was also busy in the second half, twice keeping out Jensen and pushing Sanogo's shot onto the woodwork.

"I can't recall a match where we were so dominant, this was very unjust," Diego said after Bremen had 35 shots on goal to four by Rangers.

Sporting Lisbon claimed the final berth in Friday's draw when Bruno Pereirinha scored the only goal against Bolton five minutes from time to give the Portuguese a 2-1 aggregate victory.

On Wednesday, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Zenit St. Petersburg, PSV Eindhoven, Fiorentina and Getafe advanced.

Manager Gary Megson paid the price for fielding an under-strength side as Bolton followed Everton and Spurs out of this season's competition at the last-16 stage.

There was no Kevin Nolan, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Kevin Davies, Matt Taylor, El Hadji Diouf, Andy O'Brien, Ricardo Gardner, Ivan Campo or Gavin McCann at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Megson's focus is firmly on Sunday's clash with relegation rivals Wigan at the JJB Stadium, and understandably so with the club now back in the bottom three.

The millions of pounds available for survival far outweigh the prestige of winning a piece of silverware, a sad indictment of the financial pressures placed on top-flight managers these days.

Sporting enjoyed the majority of the play, creating one fine opportunity in the 31st minute. With right-back Jlloyd Samuel the weak link in Bolton's defense, Pereirinha delivered a cross that was flicked on by Vukcevic to the far post where a full-stretch Marat Izmailov steered the ball over the crossbar.

Sporting finished the half with Leandro Romagnoli pulling another good save out of Al Habsi, but for all their possession, that was as much as they created.

The home side contined to enjoy the lion's share of possession after the break, they barely troubled their visitors until late on.

After Liedson sidefooted one chance that was parried by Al Habsi, the Oman international was beaten soon after courtesy of a superb curled left-foot strike by Pereirinha into the top right-hand corner. E-mail to a friend