Jagiellonia Bialystok 2-1 Rangers: Derek McInnes' side miss late chances as Europa League qualifying hopes dealt blow
Report as Rangers lose the first leg of their Europa League qualifier; an own goal gave Derek McInnes' side the perfect start; Manny Fernandez's own goal then pulled Jagiellonia Bialystok level; Kajetan Szmyt gave the hosts the lead; the sides meet again at Ibrox next week
Thursday 6 August 2026 20:14, UK
Derek McInnes is still looking for his first win as Rangers manager after they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok in Europa League qualifying.
McInnes made five changes from their Premiership draw with Dundee United and they made the dream start in Poland as Guilherme Montoia's own goal put them 1-0 up.
But Manny Fernandez returned the favour when he turned Kajetan Szmyt's cross into his own net before the Jagiellonia midfielder took advantage of some poor Rangers defending to fire in a second before half-time.
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McInnes brought on Cammy Devlin, Nico Raskin and Findlay Curtis for the second half. For all they improved the side's attacking threat, they failed to make it count.
Szmyt went close to a hat-trick with a shot straight at Rangers goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, then Jesus Imaz missed a brilliant chance to extend the hosts' lead when he sent his effort wide.
Gers substitute Lawrence Shankland failed to poke home a loose ball to level the match before Curtis' stoppage-time volley crashed off the post.
Rangers have it all to do at Ibrox next week. The winners will face Larne or Iberia 1999 in the Europa League play-off round, with the losing side dropping into the Conference League play-offs.
The key moments from the Chorten Arena
4: GOAL! Rommens sends in a low cross that is just out of Chermiti's reach, but it comes off Montoia and goes in.
13: GOAL! Disaster for Rangers as Szmyt's ball from out wide comes off Fernandez and ends up in the back of the net.
21: GOAL! Szmyt fires in on the rebound after Pandur denies Imaz.
61: CLOSE! Raskin with a brilliant ball to Curtis, but he can't get his effort on target.
68: LET OFF FOR RANGERS! Imaz is through but somehow misses the target.
86: BIG CHANCE! Shankland blocks Fernandez's header from the corner but fails to poke home the loose ball.
90+3: OFF THE POST! Rangers inches away!! Shankland nods the ball back for Devlin but his volley crashes off the woodwork.
McInnes: 'We beat ourselves'
Rangers manager Derek McInnes speaking to BBC Scotland:
"I just felt we beat ourselves, to be honest.
"I thought we started the game really well with an element of control. The team we picked was to make sure that their rotations in midfield weren't a problem for us - and they weren't.
"I thought our three that were fine in there at times.
"We got off to a good start, a good bit of combination play, being patient with what we were trying to do and putting a bit of stress on our defender to defend the situation.
"And obviously, he scores an own goal and it's a perfect start. And then we stopped doing what was working for us.
"We made two mistakes for the two goals."
"We need to be far more concentrated, far more focused, far more aggressive, far more talkative and organised to stop these types of things happening.
"We've seen a lot tonight of what I thought Rangers were last season.
"I thought they gave up too many chances and gave teams too much encouragement.
"Having watched them, I knew it would be a tough game, particularly here at home and they're a strong side in a strong Polish league, but I still expect us to come here and win the game, and we're disappointed that we haven't."
Late chances give confidence
Sky Sports' Alison Conroy:
It was another disappointing result for Rangers in Europe.
Their second-half performance will give them confidence that they can turn things around at a sell-out Ibrox next week, if they can avoid more defensive lapses.
The two goals they conceded were completely avoidable, much to Derek McInnes' frustration.
Big players started the game on the bench. Their introduction coincided with a much-improved showing, giving the manager decisions to make ahead of Hibernian in the Premiership on Sunday before their return leg.
New signing Daisuke Yokota was thrown in at the deep end less than 48 hours after joining the Ibrox side and he tried to get involved. Another week of training for him and his fellow summer signings could make a huge difference.
