GLASGOW (Reuters) - Karim Benzema struck twice in the last five minutes to help Olympique Lyon to a 3-0 win over Rangers in Group E on Wednesday that clinched a place in the Champions League knockout stages.
Striker Sidney Govou had put the visitors ahead in the 16th minute when he pounced on the rebound after Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor parried a Benzema cross.
The home side needed only a draw to qualify but squandered their chances and Benzema made them pay with a goal in the 85th and then three minutes later.
Rangers were reduced to 10 men at the end when Jean Claude Darcheville was shown a straight red for a studs up challenge on Swedish midfielder Kim Kallstrom.
Lyon finished runners-up in the group to Barcelona, who had already qualified for the last 16 before beating VfB Stuttgart 3-1. Rangers' consolation is a place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup for finishing third in the group.
The Scottish side found Lyon's fast-flowing football hard to deal with and it was no surprise when the French side took the lead, Benzema whipping a low cross into the danger zone that McGregor palmed into the path of Govou, who cracked a seven-metre shot into the middle of the net.
Rangers rallied after the interval and defender Alan Hutton swept in a teasing cross from the right that keeper Remy Vercoutre struggled to tip on to the bar.
Lyon's Brazilian midfielder Juninho caused havoc during both halves, forcing a full-length save from McGregor with a 25-metre free kick and later hitting the crossbar with another.
Rangers had a golden chance to equalise 10 minutes from time but Darcheville smashed a six-metre sitter against the bar.
Lyon killed off the tension-filled game with five minutes remaining when Benzema capitalised on a blunder when Rangers' Spanish defender Carlos Cuellar failed to deal with a long ball into the box and he stabbed a low, angled shot under McGregor.
Benzema got his second three minutes later when he ended a surging run through the middle by rifling a 25-metre low shot which flew past McGregor into the bottom left-hand corner.
(Editing by Sonia Oxley)
