Rangers eliminated from Europe after penalty shootout loss to Jablonec

Rangers’ European season is over before September even started. FK Jablonec, a mid-table Czech side, knocked the Scottish club out of the Europa Conference League on August 27, winning 4-3 on penalties after the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate following extra time.

If you’re keeping score at home, that’s two European eliminations in a single summer for Rangers. The first came against Jagiellonia Bialystok in the Europa League qualifiers, where Rangers lost 3-2 on aggregate. This one, against a team that finished fifth in the Czech First League last season, stings even more.

How it fell apart in the second leg

Rangers had done the hard part. A 1-0 first-leg victory at Ibrox on August 20, courtesy of a Ryan Naderi goal, gave them a cushion heading to the Czech Republic.

Cammy Devlin picked up a red card, leaving Rangers to grind through the second leg with ten men.

Vakhtang Chanturishvili found the net in the 73rd minute, leveling the aggregate score at 1-1. Despite Rangers’ depleted squad hanging on through extra time, the tie headed to penalties. Jablonec converted four of their spot kicks to Rangers’ three.

A troubling pattern under McInnes

The loss to Jablonec extended the club’s winless run in European away matches to eight consecutive fixtures.

Rangers entered the summer with aspirations of reaching the Conference League group stage at minimum. Instead, they were bounced from the Europa League by Jagiellonia Bialystok, losing 3-2 on aggregate. The drop to the Conference League qualifying rounds was supposed to offer a softer path back into group-stage football.

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