GLASGOW Rival coaches Dick Advocaat and Andreas Brehme became embroiled in a bitter row after Rangers defeated Kaiserslautern 1-0 on Thursday in the UEFA Cup third round, first leg, tie at Ibrox.

Kaiserslautern went down to an 87th minute shot from Jorg Albertz, Rangers' German international, but that was almost overshadowed by the war of words sparked by the dismissal of the visitors' Swedish midfielder, Jorgen Pettersson.

Pettersson's 80th minute tackle on Rangers substitute Neil McCann earned him a second caution to compound an earlier one for diving when challenged by Arthur Numan.

Rangers Coach Advocaat felt the Swedish player's dismissal vindicated what he had told his team earlier, claiming Pettersson looks for fouls.

That claim angered Brehme, who felt Rangers striker Michael Mols should have been sent off, and not just booked, for an incident in which he slapped Kaiserslautern goalkeeper George Koch.

"The referee handled the game very well," declared Advocaat. "And we will need that in the second leg in Germany.

"I told my players beforehand to expect that (diving), especially from Pettersson."

Brehme, though, responded by saying: "Pettersson has never dived in his career with Kaiserslautern, so what Advocaat says is wrong.

"And you should ask Advocaat what he thinks about what Mols did to Koch. The football was not unfair, simply rough British-style football and I told my players to expect that."

It looked as if Koch was going to deny Rangers with a string of inspired saves in front on a partisan 47,279 crowd.

He shut out Albertz when the midfielder was through on goal after 15 minutes and then made a reaction save with his foot to prevent Barry Ferguson finishing off Kenny Miller's cross from close range.

He then parried two free kicks from Albertz either side of halftime and a venomous free-kick by Lorenzo Amoruso after 67 minutes before Albertz finally gained his reward three minutes from the end.

Substitute Neil McCann's cross was laid off by Miller into the path of Albertz who fired a low left foot shot from 20 meters past Koch.

Advocaat praised his German player later, saying: "He had a lot of chances and didn't take them, but it was a very important goal. He scores them out of nothing that's his quality."

(Reuter)