Toothless Gers held by Viola

Fiorentina became the seventh club in European competition this season to fail to find the back of the net at Ibrox as the first leg of the semi-final ended goalless in Glasgow.

With Barry Ferguson and Kevin Thomson due to return from suspension for the return leg in Florence next week, Walter Smith's men will be hopeful of progressing to a meeting with Bayern Munich or Zenit St Petersburg in next month's final in Manchester.

Rangers goalkeeper Neil Alexander's first task was to deal with a ferocious shot from the left boot of Adrian Mutu, the Romanian who has blossomed since his return to Italy.

Then came a moment which had the Rangers crown rising from their seats. A dummy on the halfway line allowed Jean-Claude Darcheville to embark on a bustling run down the left flank, but the Frenchman attempted a pass to Steven Davis rather than a shot and goalkeeper Sebastien Frey was able to collect.

Rangers emerged after the interval in a more positive frame of mind and a long pass clipped forward by Kirk Broadfoot released Nacho Novo through on goal.

The striker found himself one on one with Frey but it was the goalkeeper who won the battle, smothering before Novo could unleash a shot.

Novo then whipped a teasing ball across the face of goal to Davis, whose glancing header was narrowly off-target, before the little striker squandered another chance of his own by screwing wide of Frey's left-hand post.

Mutu had netted a superb free-kick against PSV Eindhoven in the last round but was denied the same outcome with a long-ranger at Ibrox, Alexander proving to be resolute in the Rangers goal.

Sasa Papac's free-kick into the box eventually found its way to Christian Dailly at the far post via Cuellar but he nodded across the goalmouth and agonisingly wide and although Fiorentina threw everything at Rangers in the final moments, they were unable to find an away goal to take back to the Artemio Franchi Stadium.