Rangers Knocked Out of Europa League Under Derek McInnes as Jagiellonia Win 3-2 on Aggregate

Under Derek McInnes, Rangers drew 1–1 with Jagiellonia Białystok at Ibrox Stadium on Thursday, August 13, 2026, but were eliminated from the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round after losing 3–2 on aggregate. Nik Prelec’s 65th-minute header cancelled Lawrence Shankland’s first-half penalty and sent the Polish side through to the Europa League play-off round.

The result leaves Rangers winless in four competitive matches under McInnes and drops them into the UEFA Conference League play-off round, where they will face Czech side Jablonec for a place in the league phase.

Editor’s note: This article draws on match reporting from BBC Sport, ESPN (UK), and beIN SPORTS, August 6 and 13, 2026. Aggregate scores and goal details reflect published full-time reports.

Match at a glance

Detail	Information
Competition	UEFA Europa League — Third qualifying round, second leg
Date	Thursday, August 13, 2026
Venue	Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland
First-leg result	Jagiellonia Białystok 2–1 Rangers (August 6, Poland)
Final score	Rangers 1–1 Jagiellonia Białystok
Aggregate	Jagiellonia 3–2 (advance to play-off round)
Rangers’ next European tie	Conference League play-off vs. Jablonec

Goal timeline

Minute	Team	Scorer	Notes
19’	Rangers	Lawrence Shankland (penalty)	VAR awarded spot-kick after Yuki Kobayashi handball on Daisuke Yokota’s cross
65’	Jagiellonia	Nik Prelec	Header from Anders Klynge’s cross at the back post

The tie in context

Rangers arrived at Ibrox needing to overturn a 2–1 first-leg deficit from August 6 in Białystok, where defensive errors had cost them despite an early own goal from Guilherme Montoia. Kajetan Szmyt scored twice for Jagiellonia in Poland, and McInnes admitted his side had “beaten ourselves” after squandering a promising start.

Before Thursday’s decider, McInnes urged Rangers to play with “more risk” and get “more bodies in the box” — a response to a winless start that included a 1–1 Premiership draw at Dundee United and a 2–1 home defeat to Hibernian. The manager said the club “could all be doing with a win” and that supporters were “desperate for something to get behind.”

Jagiellonia, meanwhile, carried a one-goal cushion into Glasgow. Manager Adrian Siemieniec had promised his side would be dangerous on the counter, and the Polish club’s route to the play-off round rested on holding firm at a venue where Rangers needed at least two goals to advance outright.

How the second leg unfolded

First half: Shankland levels the tie

The opening exchanges were end-to-end. Jagiellonia goalkeeper Slawomir Abramowicz denied Shankland early, while Jesus Imaz struck the inside of a post with a low drive and later forced a save from Ivor Pandur.

Rangers took the lead in the 19th minute when VAR spotted Kobayashi’s arm blocking Yokota’s cutback into the six-yard box. Shankland — who had followed McInnes from Hearts and turned 31 on the Monday before the match — converted the penalty for his first Rangers goal, levelling the aggregate at 2–2.

The hosts had heeded McInnes’ call for greater intent, but Jagiellonia continued to threaten. Imaz tested Pandur again, and Prelec fired across the face of goal from a sliding chance before the break.

Second half: Prelec decides it

McInnes switched shape at halftime, replacing midfielder Thelo Aasgaard with Ross McCrorie and reverting to a back four. The change disrupted Rangers’ rhythm, and Jagiellonia exploited the extra space wide of the home defence.

In the 65th minute, Klynge delivered an inch-perfect cross to the back post and Prelec — the former Oxford United striker — rose to head the equaliser. The goal proved decisive: with the away-goals rule no longer in effect, Jagiellonia’s 3–2 aggregate lead meant Rangers needed another goal to force extra time.

McInnes threw on substitutes including Findlay Curtis, Bojan Miovski, and Emmanuel Fernandez, but the anticipated late siege never materialised. Miovski headed wide from six yards after Curtis’ cross, and Vanja Dragojević curled narrowly past the post. A chorus of boos greeted the final whistle from fans in a half-empty Ibrox.

Standout performers and absences

Player / factor	Notes
Nik Prelec	Scored the decisive equaliser; named player of the match by BBC Sport
Lawrence Shankland	First Rangers goal under McInnes; captain’s penalty briefly revived hopes
Slawomir Abramowicz	Key early saves kept Jagiellonia in the tie before Prelec struck
Jesus Imaz	Hit the post and forced saves; constant threat in both halves
Ross McCrorie	Brought on at left-back at halftime; BBC analysis linked him to Prelec’s goal

Rangers were without several key players. Striker Youssef Chermiti was ruled out with an ACL injury, left-back Tuur Rommens faced up to eight weeks out with a groin problem, and defender Ben Godfrey remained sidelined. McInnes deployed a back three among five changes from the Hibernian defeat, with Rommens’ absence forcing tactical adjustments throughout the tie.

What McInnes said

Speaking after full-time, the Rangers manager did not hide his frustration:

“In the four games we’ve had, there’s been some good moments, but it’s not been good enough and certainly not a strong enough 90-minute performance. It is not great to watch. My team go from some good highs in the first half to being as poor as we were in the second half.”

McInnes added that Rangers “huffed and puffed” in the closing stages and “should be winning this game,” acknowledging Jagiellonia as a well-coached side but insisting his team at their best ought to have prevailed at Ibrox.

What it means for Rangers

For a club that reached the Europa League final in 2022 under previous management, Thursday’s exit marks a sharp comedown. Rangers will now contest a Conference League play-off against Jablonec, who defeated Latvia’s RFS earlier on the same evening. Only victory in that tie will secure a place in the 2026–27 Conference League league phase.

Domestically, the picture is equally unsettled. McInnes — widely praised for taking Hearts to within minutes of the Scottish title in 2024–25 — has yet to register a win in four attempts at Ibrox. Rangers face St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup last 16 on Sunday before the Conference League play-off first leg the following Thursday.

Jagiellonia, by contrast, advance to the Europa League play-off round, continuing a European run that began with a comfortable aggregate cushion built in Poland and held firm in Glasgow.

What’s next

Fixture	Detail
Sunday, Aug. 16	Premier Sports Cup last 16 — Rangers vs. St Mirren (Ibrox, 16:00 BST)
Conference League play-off	Rangers vs. Jablonec (two legs; first leg next Thursday)
Jagiellonia	Europa League play-off round (opponent to be confirmed by UEFA)

Rangers’ European summer began with defensive lapses in Poland and ended with a second-half collapse at home. The Conference League offers a route back into continental competition — but only if McInnes can turn a winless start into the kind of 90-minute performance he says has been missing.

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Discussion

Rangers levelled the aggregate through Shankland’s penalty but could not find a winner at Ibrox — and McInnes’ winless run now stretches to four matches.

1. Did McInnes’ halftime switch to a back four cost Rangers the tie?

The substitution of McCrorie for Aasgaard changed both shape and tempo. Was it the right call against a counter-attacking Jagiellonia side, or did it hand the initiative to the visitors?

2. Can Rangers salvage their season through the Conference League?

Dropping into the third tier of UEFA club competition is a blow for a club of Rangers’ stature. Does a play-off against Jablonec offer a realistic path to group-stage football — or does the squad need more rebuilding first?

Share where you think Rangers’ European campaign goes from here — and whether Thursday night felt like a temporary setback or a deeper crisis under McInnes.

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