Rangers' European campaign is over before it truly began after a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Czech side Jablonec in the Conference League play-offs. A 4-3 loss on spot-kicks, following a 1-1 aggregate draw, means Derek McInnes' side will play no part in continental competition this season.

The visitors carried a slender first-leg advantage into the tie, but Jablonec levelled the aggregate score in the 73rd minute when Vakhtang Tchanturishvili produced a stunning solo run, dribbling past James Penrice before firing into the bottom-right corner to send the game to extra time.

Jablonec had threatened throughout, with Lamin Jawo missing a brilliant one-on-one chance against goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, while Tochi Chukwuani sent a tame header towards Jan Hanus. Jawo and Matej Polidar both forced saves from Rangers' keeper before the break, prompting McInnes to introduce Findlay Curtis, Lawrence Shankland and Connor Barron at half-time.

The hosts came closest to winning it in the additional 30 minutes when Jan Chramosta dragged an effort narrowly wide, ensuring the tie would be decided from 12 yards. Shankland converted coolly into the bottom-right corner and Antonin Rusek powered a strike into the roof of the net, but consecutive misses from Curtis and Penrice proved fatal as Chramosta clinched victory for Jablonec.

The statistics painted a grim picture for Rangers, who were second-best for much of the contest, accumulating just 0.54 expected goals (xG) from nine attempts with only one on target, while Jablonec produced 1.13 xG from 16 shots. Shankland failed to hit the target with any of his three efforts after coming on, while Penrice's defensive lapse for the goal looked even more costly following his miss in the shoot-out.

The defeat adds to a miserable start to the campaign for McInnes, who had already seen his side fall at the Europa League qualifying stage to Jagiellonia Bialystok. With Rangers still winless in the Scottish Premiership, having drawn with Dundee United before losing to Hibernian, the pressure is mounting significantly on the manager.