THOMAS BUFFEL insists that Rangers can reach the UEFA Cup final after battling to a goalless draw with Fiorentina at Ibrox last night. The result leaves the tie delicately poised ahead of the second leg and Buffel, who played the final half hour last night, claims that, should the Italians attack them next week, then they have the players to pick them off.

"We have gone away from home and got a result and have strikers who can score goals," he said. "Hopefully we can do that over there. It's going to be an exciting game. They will have to be very careful. They can't attack us because they know the kind of strikers we have. Any goal we score will make it hard for them."

"The clean sheet was the most important thing. If you concede a goal at home then you have to score twice away."

Rangers were solid in defence once again last night, with Carlos Cuellar and David Weir both resolute. "The whole season we have relied on our defence. We were forced to be defensive because we missed Barry Ferguson and Kevin Thomson, who keep possession for us. But we now have those players coming back and will hopefully get more of the ball over there. It was a great performance overall."

Buffel has barely kicked a ball this season but finds himself in the thick of things after a spate of injuries. "It would be enormous for me to do well next week. All I can do is give 100% and try to show myself."