Rangers earned a narrow 1-0 victory against Czech side Jablonec at Ibrox Stadium in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off tie on Thursday night.
Forward Ryan Naderi scored the only goal of the match five minutes after half-time to give Derek McInnes's side a slim advantage heading into next week's return leg in the Czech Republic.
The Scottish Premiership side were forced to defend their lead with ten men late in the second half after substitute Cammy Devlin was shown a straight red card shortly after entering the pitch.
Shankland benched again as Rangers struggle for rhythm
Before kick-off, eyebrows were raised when newly appointed club captain Lawrence Shankland was left on the substitutes' bench for the second consecutive match. McInnes had spoken before the game to insist he retains full confidence in the striker's ability to succeed at Ibrox, but opted against starting him in a high-stakes European tie.
McInnes chose to stick with the 4-3-3 formation that produced an emphatic 5-1 win over St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup last weekend. Shankland's lack of mobility and pressing ability made him ill-suited to play as the lone central striker in that system.
Naderi was selected to start up front instead, while Dan Neil came into the midfield to replace Nico Raskin and took over the captain's armband. Despite their recent domestic victory, Rangers displayed little cohesion or attacking threat throughout a frustrating opening period.
Jablonec, based in the Czech Republic, arrived in Glasgow in confident mood following six consecutive wins in all competitions. The visitors were content to sit deep and frustrate Rangers, who moved the ball slowly from side to side without penetrating the opposition defense.
Fernandez errors and post hit in flat first half
Rangers defender Manny Fernandez struggled during the opening exchanges, creating noticeable anxiety among the Ibrox crowd. The center-back received a yellow card after just 10 minutes and remained under pressure, displaying poor body language and complaining to teammates after making mistakes.
With Fernandez enduring poor form, former England international defender Ben Godfrey is expected to return to the starting line-up alongside Olwethu Makhanya once he regains full fitness.
Rangers created their best opening of the first half on 25 minutes. Neat interplay inside the penalty area saw Naderi lay the ball off to Vanja Dragojevic, but the Serbian midfielder, who scored a long-range goal against St Mirren last weekend, saw his shot hit the post and trickle along the goalline before Jablonec cleared.
The home supporters booed the players off at half-time after a laborious performance against an opponent that appeared vulnerable to pressure.
Naderi strikes before Devlin red card causes late drama
Rangers found the breakthrough five minutes after the restart. Captain Dan Neil delivered his first forward pass of the evening, clipping a high ball toward the back post. Daisuke Yokota cushioned a header across the face of goal, allowing Naderi to tap into an empty net with the goalkeeper out of position.
The goal briefly revitalised Rangers, and they ought to have doubled their lead five minutes later when Naderi whipped a cross to the far post for Djeidi Gassama, who volleyed the chance over the crossbar.
Seeking fresh legs to extend the lead, McInnes made a double substitution on 69 minutes by introducing Findlay Curtis and Cammy Devlin. However, Devlin's cameo turned into a disaster within two minutes of his arrival.
The midfielder executed a high and late challenge on Jablonec left-back Jiri Slama. Romanian referee Marian Barbu initially missed the incident but issued a straight red card after being referred to the pitchside monitor by the VAR.
High stakes for McInnes in Czech Republic return leg
Forced onto the back foot with ten men, Rangers held on in the closing stages to preserve their lead against opposition operating at a level comparable to mid-table in the Scottish top flight.
The narrow win leaves Rangers with work to do in next week's return leg in the Czech Republic, where group-stage qualification remains uncertain. Failure to progress would mark a heavy blow for McInnes, who has signed 11 new players this summer while still searching for two wingers and a striker.
Rangers have already been knocked out of European competition this season by Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok. The Ibrox club has reached the group stage of a European tournament every year since 2017, when they were eliminated by Luxembourg's Progres Niederkorn, heightening the pressure on McInnes to complete the job next week.
