Jagiellonia Away was meant to be the night Derek McInnes finally got his season moving, but the Gers instead slipped to a 2-1 defeat in the first leg of the Europa League third qualifying round tie in Poland.
Rangers made the perfect start when a Guilherme Montoia own goal put them ahead, only for the hosts to turn the tie on its head before the interval.
It was a familiar tale of self-inflicted damage, with the full-time reports from Poland confirming Jagiellonia’s Kacper had punished slack defending with a home double, one a header.
Jagiellonia vs Rangers: defensive lapses cost the Gers
That leaves McInnes still searching for his first competitive win since taking charge.
Having named a side with five changes from the opening-weekend draw at Dundee United, the Rangers boss watched his reshuffled XI fail to protect a lead they had worked hard to earn.
For the second successive match, the team selection invited scrutiny, and the manner of the goals – sloppy, avoidable and clustered before the break – will worry supporters as much as the scoreline itself.
Ever since Rangers’ Europa League draw handed them the Polish side, this looked a genuine test, and so it proved.
All to play for at Ibrox
The good news is that a one-goal deficit is far from fatal.
Rangers welcome Jagiellonia to Ibrox next Thursday for the second leg, and an early goal in Govan would swing the tie firmly back in their favour.
McInnes must tighten a rearguard that has looked alarmingly open and trust his forwards to make home advantage count.
The tie is more than winnable, but this fledgling team will need to deal with their first dose of real pressure as Rangers players, if they are to take their place in the Europa League Playoff round.
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