In the end it was a stroll for Rangers, who took another, simple step towards another Champions League campaign at Dundee.

First half goals from Rod Wallace, Tore Andre Flo and Jorg Albertz settled the issue early on and for the final hour the match was played at a gentle exhibition pace.

But the opening 30 minutes had been explosive, with both sides exchanging scoring opportunities.

The fact that Rangers took theirs and Dundee did not was a straightforward demonstration of why Dick Advocaat can plot a course for the Champions League qualifiers while Ivano Bonetti must hope for pot luck in its lesser cousin - the InterToto Cup.

Wallace's opener came in the fourth minute when Bert Konterman lofted the ball over centre back Steven Tweed and the little striker outpaced his man before lifting the ball over the exposed James Langfield.

The much-maligned Konterman showed his frailties once again soon after though, gifting Steven Milne a chance but the youngster could not hit the target when invited to do so.

Dundee's nifty Georgian Giorgi Nemsadze was on target when his super skills took him on a run that took him past challenge after challenge.

But after arriving in the box and with all the goal to aim at he could only plant the ball back into play off Stefan Klos's chest.

Tweed was then given a heading opportunity thanks to a poor headed clearance from Flo but the ball sailed harmlessly over.

It could so easily have been 3-1 for Dundee but, immediately, it was 2-0 to the visitors when Chris Coyne was unable to make the right decision when Barry Ferguson played a throughball down the middle.

He allowed Flo to set off on a run that left Tweed trailing and the Norseman deftly flicked the ball past Langfield.

Dundee replied with another wasted opportunity with Juan Sara the culprit this time, firing at Klos when Beto Carranza's dummy of a Milne cross had left the entire Rangers defence flatfooted.

Sara was the fall-guy again when Ferguson lost out in midfield after a failed Rangers corner and Beto Garrido launched a swift counter down the left.

He sent Milne away but his square ball past the last man got stuck under Sara's feet and he could only stab the ball to Gavin Rae, who fired at Klos from an inferior position.

Rangers taunted the home side by making it three with a goal out of nothing, with Albertz rifling home a speculative 25-yarder.

Dundee continued where they had left off after the break with Sara heading a Garrido cross over.

The Argentinian had all the time to plant his header as Scott Wilson was late in arriving to challenge.

Fernando Ricksen was enjoying getting the better of a physical encounter with playmaker Beto Carranza, with the Dutchman providing all the physique and the Argentinian not liking any of it.

Ricksen almost made it four after the hour mark when he got into the box and muscled past two challengers but Langfield was behind his shot.

Dundee sent on Fabian Caballero, Alessandro Romano and Walter Del Rio after the break but the changes were merely cosmetic and the final 45 minutes were of little significance given what had come before.

Claudio Caniggia had been annoyingly absent from the Dundee side, with a hamstring problem having kept him on the sidelines.

With the two clubs seemingly on none too friendly terms amid intense speculation that the Argentinian is Ibrox-bound in the summer, it would have been fascinating to see him play against them.

Certainly it could have livened up the dull final hour.

The home side were also missing defender Barry Smith through suspension, which also ruled out Rangers' utility man Claudio Reyna, who would have been away on international duty with the USA anyway.

Aussie duo Tony Vidmar and Craig Moore were back after long-haul turkey shoots against ridiculously inferior opposition on the other side of the globe but Dick Advocaat left them out anyway.

There was a minute's silence before kick off as a mark of respect for for former Rangers and Scotland winger Jim Baxter, whose funeral at Glasgow Cathedral on Friday was attended by hundreds of fans.

Teams

Dundee: Langfield, Khizanishvili, Coyne (Del Rio 59), Tweed, Garrido, Artero (Romano 46), Rae, Nemsadze, Carranza, Sara, Milne (Caballero 53).

Subs Not Used: Roccati, Robertson.

Rangers: Klos, Amoruso, Konterman, Wilson, Ricksen, Ferguson (Tugay 68), Wallace, Albertz, Numan, Dodds (Fernandes 59), Flo (Miller 80).

Subs Not Used: Christiansen, Porrini.

Goals: Wallace 4, Flo 15, Albertz 27.

Att: 10,687

Ref: W Young (Scotland).