Lee McCulloch has warned Stuttgart that Rangers will go for the jugular in a bid to book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Three points at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion, combined with a Barcelona victory over Lyon on the other Group E match, would guarantee a coveted place in the knockout stages of the competition.

However, the midfielder, 29, insists Rangers will not press the panic button if they do not earn the desired result against the Germans, knowing they can still seal their qualification in the final match against Lyon at Ibrox.

"It might come down to the last game but we will go and try to take something in Germany," he said.

"As long as we get a positive result then I am sure everything will be all right going into the last game.

"On paper, everybody is going to write you off because of the calibre of team in a really tough group. That's only on paper. We have shown what can be achieved with a bit of desire.

"I would not say it's a free game for us against Stuttgart because there are still points to be played for. If we win, and results go for us, it could be enough to qualify.

"It is definitely going to be a hard game."

Stuttgart have endured a bitterly disappointing campaign of their own and four consecutive defeats means no hope of even securing a consolation prize in the shape of the UEFA Cup.

But McCulloch warned against underestimating the threat of the German champions.

"For a team like that to have no points, nobody would have believed it," he said.

"They will come out of the traps quickly and we have to be ready for it. In the last few weeks they have been going really well. They beat Bayern Munich 3-1 and could have scored four or five.

"They won again at the weekend, 4-1, and I think they have definitely hit a bit of form."

Rangers manager Walter Smith is hoping an improvement in domestic results means Stuttgart will be more focused on their league campaign than earning belated points in the Champions League but admits such a scenario is unlikely.

He said: "Stuttgart have had a couple of years to build up as a team and they probably felt it was early in their plan to be winning the Bundesliga last season.

"They took it, obviously, and probably enjoyed it. But the intensity at which you have to play to stay at that level has an effect on the next season.

"That's what happened in the early part of this campaign, but they are a team capable of playing some exceptional football.

"We hope there is more of a focus placed on the league campaign, rather than the Champions League, but I think that is unlikely. Playing four games in the Champions League and not winning one brings a certain amount of pressure."

In fact, Smith fears embarrassment could drive Stuttgart on to victory against Rangers.

He added: "There will be a level of commitment from them because, from their point of view, there will be a wee bit of embarrassment at playing four games and not picking up a point or two.

"That would be the same for any team, including us. At the start of the campaign, people probably looked at the section and thought we were the side it was maybe likely to happen to.

"It's happened to Stuttgart and that's why I think they still have a bit to play for. It's not about tangible success - because even the UEFA Cup has gone for them - but it's about showing they can play at that level.

"Obviously they can, but just haven't had a good tournament so far."

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