Lindsay Herron reports from the Jose Alvalade Stadium

RANGERS were in European dreamland tonight as they stormed the dizzy heights of the last four of the UEFA Cup with a classic away performance.

The incredible adventure had a new chapter and Jean-Claude Darcheville and Stevie Whittaker were the men who wrote it with two killer goals.

Darche struck in 60 minutes then Whittaker scored an incredible solo goal in the final minute to seal a stunning victory.

For the first time in 36 years Rangers are in a major European semi-final and there they will face old foes Fiorentina with the home leg at Ibrox on April 24 and the return in Florence on May 1.

However, the down side to otherwise fantastic night is that Barry Ferguson and Kevin Thomson will miss the first leg.

This was just sensational and undoubtedly one of the greatest nights in Europe.

There were heroes all over the park from the immaculate Cuellar and Dailly at the back through Thomson, Hemdani and Ferguson in midfield to Darcheville up front.

Can they now go on and win it? Why the heck not the way things have been going.

Rangers made a crisp, composed and positive start to the match, retaining excellent possession and created two good openings which nearly gave them a dream start.

In three minutes Brahim Hemdani, back in the holding role, played a great ball through for Jean-Claude Darcheville who got the break of the ball off Tonel and suddenly had a clear sight of goal.

It looked as though Darche would score but Rui Patricio was quick off his line and made a good blocking save from the striker's left foot shot.

Then in six minutes Hemdani and Barry Ferguson exchanged passes and Kevin Thomson slid a clever ball for Darcheville but this Tonel made a good block and Patricio cleared for a throw-in.

Sporting, though, came storming back into the match in 18 minutes when they came within inches of taking the lead.

Sasa Papac was judged to have fouled Liedson on the right side of the box 35 yards out. Moutinho whipped in the free kick and Liedson got a clear header but it smacked off the right hand post.

That gave the Portuguese side a real boost but Rangers regained their composure and pressed again in 23 minutes.

Darcheville got away from Grimi as he burst down the right and drove over a low ball for Ferguson at the near post but Gladstone was there to knock the ball out for a corner.

There was more positive news for Rangers in 35 minutes when Steve Davis took a great pass from Carlos Cuellar and suddenly found space between the Sporting midfield and back four.

Ferguson made a terrific run ahead of him and Davis just had to play him in but opted to try to find Darcheville and Gladstone was there to make the challenge.

Ferguson was in the mix again in 40 minutes when he broke clear on the left and tried to find Darcheville with a cross but Patricio claimed the ball comfortably.

However, Moutinho proved his threat again in 41 minutes when he took a pass from Veloso and drove a right foot which fizzed just wide of Allan McGregor's right hand post.

Rangers, though, carved out another chance in 43 minutes when Papac's cross into the box was only half-cleared to Lee McCulloch on the edge of the box.

McCulloch took aim with his right boot but Tonel made a terrific block, throwing himself at the midfielder's shot.

Sadly for Kevin Thomson an over-exuberant challenge on Veloso four minutes into the second half led to Konrad Plautz producing a yellow card which means he misses the next match.

The former midfield man had been excellent to that point and it did not dampen his spirit as he continued to play his part in midfield.

Rangers, though, were nearly caught out from a set piece in 54 minutes when Cuellar brought down Izmailov. Veloso whipped the ball over and Simon Vukcevic headed just wide.

The Lisbon men had started the better in the second half and Rangers needed to get back into things.

They did so quite spectacularly just before the hour mark.

Tonel and Gladstone made a real mess of dealing with Kirk Broadfoot's long ball and suddenly Darcheville was on the ball and Davis was in the clear on the right.

The former Bordeaux man found him perfectly then dashed into the box to receive the perfect return pass and calmly slotted a left foot shot into the net.

The bench went berserk and the Rangers supporters behind the goal went bananas. Suddenly, the semi-final dream was on.

It was a classic counter-attack strike.

Now Sporting needed two goals to get past Rangers and they came close.

Substitute Djalo missed a really good chance when he shot wide in 73 minutes then Tonel headed past from Abel's free kick in 79 minutes and didn't look like McGregor was getting there.

Rangers defended doggedly but there was another suspension blow nine minutes from time when Ferguson was booked for kicking the ball away. He too now misses the first leg with Fiorentina.

However, there was a moment of utter joy for Whittaker when he sealed the win in the final minute.

Whittaker, who had replaced McCulloch, won the ball on the halfway line and promptly burst all the way into the Sporting box and drove a low shot into the net.

It was astonishing and an amazing way to clinch it all.

Bring on Fiorentina!