Rangers Out of Conference League After Jablonec Shootout Defeat

Rangers endured a painful exit from the Uefa Conference League playoffs after Jablonec defeated them 4-3 in a penalty shootout.

Derek McInnes’s team arrived in Czechia holding a 1-0 advantage from the opening leg at Ibrox, but they produced a sluggish display that offered little attacking imagination. Jablonec won 1-0 at Stadion Strelnice, leaving the teams tied 1-1 after extra time and sending the contest to penalties.

McInnes brought on Lawrence Shankland, Connor Barron and Findlay Curtis during the second half, yet Rangers remained unable to impose themselves. Jablonec midfielder Vakhtang Chanturishvili deservedly restored parity in the 73rd minute, beating goalkeeper Ivor Pandur with a low shot.

With neither side scoring again, the tie was settled from the spot. Pandur denied Filip Zorvan, but Curtis sent his attempt over the crossbar before Jablonec goalkeeper Jan Hanus saved James Penrice’s penalty. Jan Chramosta then converted the winning kick.

The result represents another major setback for Rangers, who had already been eliminated from Europa League qualifying by Jagiellonia Bialystok following a 3-2 aggregate loss. McInnes’s extensive rebuilding project has made a difficult start, with the club’s European season ending before August was over.

McInnes said afterwards that he felt ashamed of the display, acknowledging that the performance fell well below the required standard and insisting there could be no excuses.

The Rangers manager also conceded that Jablonec had been superior in most areas and deserved to progress. He added that even a shootout victory would only have disguised the serious weaknesses evident in his team’s performance.

Brighton advanced to the Conference League league phase after easing to a 4-0 playoff victory over Tromsø at the Amex Stadium. Albion entered Thursday’s return leg needing to improve after registering 25 attempts without scoring in the goalless opening match in Norway.

Fabian Hürzeler’s players were much more clinical at home. First-half goals from Charalampos Kostoulas, Maxim De Cuyper and Mats Wieffer gave them complete control, while Olivier Boscagli’s deflected late effort completed the scoring and secured their place in Friday’s draw.

Motherwell paid the price for another damaging dismissal as their European campaign concluded with a 4-1 loss at Freiburg in the Conference League playoffs.

Martin Moormann’s red card had helped last season’s Europa League finalist claim a 3-1 first-leg victory, and Motherwell again went down to 10 players in Germany when Jake Girdwood-Reich was dismissed shortly before the hour with the score at 1-1.

Emmanuel Longelo took advantage of an error by home goalkeeper Mio Backhaus to cancel out Derry Scherhant’s early goal. Any hope of a positive result for the visitors disappeared when Igor Matanovic, Cyriaque Irie and Keisuke Goto scored to complete a 7-2 aggregate triumph.

A stoppage-time own goal from Miguel Chaiwa condemned Hibernian to Conference League playoff disappointment for a second consecutive season as Gent earned a 3-2 away victory.

After the first match in Belgium ended without a goal, Hibs appeared set to reach the league phase for the first time. Second-half strikes from Jason Kerr and Felix Passlack overturned an impressive opening goal scored by Gent teenager Josue Vergara.

Christian Burgess brought Gent level in the 84th minute before Chaiwa inadvertently diverted the ball into his own goal during added time. The late drama confirmed another narrow European elimination for Hibs, who had lost 4-3 on aggregate to Legia Warsaw at the same point of the competition the previous season.

Northern Ireland’s Larne also suffered a heartbreaking late exit after surrendering a two-goal aggregate advantage at home against Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps. Larne led 2-0 following the first leg and protected that margin until the 82nd minute, when quick goals from Kike Gómez and Manu Toledano made it 2-2 overall.

Montel Gibson received a red card for the home side in the 87th minute. Larne almost held on for a shootout, but Toledano converted a penalty in the 121st minute to decide the tie. Shamrock Rovers also failed to reach the Conference League’s main stage, losing 1-0 away to Finnish club KuPS and 2-1 on aggregate.