Rangers were eliminated from European competition after a penalty shootout loss to Jablonec in the UEFA Conference League play-off second leg on Thursday at Stadion Strelnice in the Czech Republic. After winning the first leg 1-0 at home, Rangers were defeated 1-0 in the away leg, with Jablonec midfielder Vakhtang Tchanturishvili scoring the only goal to level the aggregate score at 1-1. The match remained goalless through extra time, leading to a penalty shootout which Jablonec ultimately won.

The shootout began favorably for Rangers, with Lawrence Shankland, Bojan Miovski, and Thelo Aasgaard converting their first three penalties, and goalkeeper Ivor Pandur saving a shot from Filip Zorvan. However, Rangers faltered thereafter; Findlay Curtis missed his attempt by shooting over the bar, and James Penrice’s penalty was saved. Jablonec then successfully converted their final two penalties, with Jan Chramosta scoring the decisive kick, sending Rangers out of the competition.

This exit marks a significant setback for Rangers, who had already been knocked out of the Europa League earlier in the season by Jagiellonia Bialystok. As a result, the club will not participate in any European group stage for the first time since the 2017-18 season. The defeat carries both financial implications and a blow to team morale at the start of the campaign.

Rangers manager Derek McInnes faced criticism from supporters, with many questioning his ability to recover from this early-season disappointment. Observers noted the team’s lack of cohesion and creativity during the away match, as well as the manager’s repeated adjustments that failed to produce an effective response on the pitch.

With European competition concluded for Rangers, the team now turns focus to upcoming domestic fixtures, beginning with a Scottish Premiership match against Aberdeen. The club will seek to regroup after a challenging start to the season and address concerns over their form and squad performance.