Derek McInnes endured a winless start to his tenure as Rangers manager as his side exited the Europa League qualifiers following a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok, sealed by a 1-1 draw at Ibrox, amid jeers from frustrated supporters.
Rangers crashed out of the Europa League qualifiers after a 1-1 draw against Jagiellonia Bialystok at Ibrox completed a 3-2 aggregate defeat for the Scottish club. Derek McInnes saw his winless start to life in the managerial seat extend to four competitive matches since arriving from Hearts in the summer, prompting loud boos from the stands at the final whistle.
Lawrence Shankland Penalty Sparks Early Hope Before Nik Prelec Equalizer
The fixture began with optimism for the hosts when they cancelled out their Polish opponents’ first-leg deficit within the opening 20 minutes. Former Celtic defender Yuki Kobayashi was penalised by VAR for a handball inside his own penalty area, allowing captain Lawrence Shankland to pull Rangers level from the spot on 19 minutes for his debut goal since joining from Hearts.
Rangers created further opportunities to extend their advantage before the interval. Thelo Aasgaard fired just wide of the post from the edge of the box, and teammate Ryan Naderi also went close. However, the momentum shifted decisively 10 minutes into the second half.
Nik Prelec, who recorded one goal in 24 appearances for Oxford during the previous season in the Championship, scored in the 65th minute to restore Jagiellonia Bialystok’s aggregate lead. The disjointed home team failed to test opposing goalkeeper Slawomir Abramowicz after the break, sealing their earliest exit from the competition since 2017.
Derek McInnes Acknowledges Fan Frustration After Earliest Exit Since 2017
At full time, as the squad attempted to thank supporters for their attendance, jeers echoed around the stadium. McInnes admitted in his post-match remarks that the negative reaction from the home crowd was fully deserved.
“It wasn’t good enough. What we served up, particularly second half, wasn’t good enough. I’ve got to be honest with you, I’ve got to own it. I felt we had to make the game open and it was a bit too open at times in the first half and obviously Gassama and Yakota playing as effectively wing backs, we were asking a lot of them at times.”
Derek McInnes, Rangers Manager
Reflecting on the wider standing of the club, McInnes offered a blunt assessment of his current squad’s readiness for continental competition.
“The club is built for Europa League and Champions League but I’m not sure the team is quite ready for it, and that pains me to say it. We need more quality and confidence into the team.”
Derek McInnes, Rangers Manager
Conference League Playoffs Await Rangers and Hearts
Following the defeat, Rangers drop into the Conference League playoff round, where they will face Czech top-flight side Jablonec, with the first leg scheduled at Ibrox on August 20.
Meanwhile, Hearts also dropped out of the Europa League after a 1-1 draw against Benfica, finishing on the wrong side of a 7-2 aggregate scoreline following a heavy defeat a week prior. Tómas Magnússon gave the home supporters a brief lead in the 77th minute before Dodi Lukébakio equalized less than a minute later for the Portuguese visitors. Wouter Vrancken’s Hearts side earned a Conference League playoff matchup against Austrian club Rapid Vienna.
In another Scottish fixture, Hibernian secured a 2-1 aggregate victory over Shkendija after a hard-fought 0-0 draw in searing heat at the Todor Proeski National Arena. Manager David Gray praised his players for an incredible achievement after navigating tough conditions to earn their first clean sheet of the season, setting up a Conference League playoff showdown against Belgian side Gent.
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