Walter Smith looks calm as his side shut-out Barcelona

"Obviously we were forced into a great defensive performance throughout the 90 minutes," he said.

"I said to the players that it was going to be like that but I think any club would have adopted those tactics.

"We have created more going forward in other games but we had to remember who we were playing."

News conference: Rangers manager Walter Smith

News conference: Barcelona striker Thierry Henry

The stalemate means Rangers move onto seven points along with their Catalan visitors ahead of the re-match in Barcelona in a fortnight.

All in all, it was an excellent result for us tonight Rangers manager Walter Smith

And Smith felt his players more than matched their more illustrious opponents.

"Although we didn't create too many clear-cut opportunites of our own, neither did Barcelona, especially with the amount of possession they had," he added.

"It was always going to be difficult to get forward and I felt a bit sorry for Daniel Cousin on his own up front.

"We've worked extremely hard and to be sitting undefeated after three games in a very difficult section which I don't think anyone expected.

"All in all, it was an excellent result for us tonight."

Smith was also keen to point out that there was still a lot of work to be done if Rangers are to qualify for the last 16.

"Lyon winning in Stuttgart tonight means they can get up close to us if we don't get a positive result in Barcelona," Smith said.

"It looks like the section is going to be a tight one.

"I don't know where these results leave the club, but it has gone from being knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Dunfermline who were relegated, to holding Barcelona.

"From our own point of view, we are exceeding our own expectations."