McInnes' Nightmare Start Continues at Ibrox

Derek McInnes' difficult beginning as Rangers manager showed no signs of abating as his side were knocked out of the Europa League in the third qualifying round, falling 3-2 on aggregate to Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok following a 1-1 draw at Ibrox Stadium.

Having already squandered a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 in last week's first leg in Poland, Rangers once again let a lead slip on home soil, leaving McInnes still searching for his first competitive victory since taking the reins at the Glasgow club.

Shankland Penalty Offers Hope

The match began at a frantic pace, with Lawrence Shankland denied by Jagiellonia goalkeeper Slawomir Abramowicz before Jesus Imaz struck the inside of the post for the visitors. Rangers finally drew level on aggregate in the 19th minute when, after a VAR review, former Celtic centre-back Yuki Kobayashi was penalised for handball from Daisuke Yokota's right-wing cross. Shankland kept his composure from the penalty spot, scoring his first goal since following McInnes to Ibrox from Hearts.

However, Rangers never truly looked in control despite their advantage, and the second half would prove decisive.

Prelec Header Ends Rangers' European Hopes

Rangers' fragile lead was extinguished in the 65th minute when Nik Prelec rose highest to meet an inch-perfect cross from Anders Klynge at the far post, powering a towering header beyond the Rangers goalkeeper. The goal restored Jagiellonia's aggregate lead and effectively ended the tie.

The home side grew increasingly desperate in their bid to force extra time. Bojan Miovski miscued a header while Vanja Dragojevic curled narrowly wide of the right-hand post, but it was not enough. Boos echoed around Ibrox when the final whistle confirmed Rangers' elimination.

Pressure Mounts on McInnes

With just a solitary point from two Scottish Premiership fixtures and now out of the Europa League, the pressure is already mounting on McInnes ahead of Sunday's League Cup tie against St. Mirren. The Scottish boss is now winless in four matches in all competitions (D2 L2).

Some may question whether Thursday's disappointment was self-inflicted, as McInnes switched to a four-man backline with the half-time introduction of Ross McCrorie, having looked the better side in the first period while operating with a back three.

The situation bears an uncomfortable resemblance to twelve months ago, when Russell Martin endured a dismal start in the Rangers dugout — failing to win any of his first five Premiership games and overseeing a Champions League play-off defeat to Club Brugge — from which he never recovered.

Rangers can still salvage a place in European competition this season, however. They will drop into the Conference League play-off round, where they must beat Czech side Jablonec later this month to secure a spot in the group stage proper.