Derek McInnes recorded his second consecutive victory, but it was far from comfortable. Rangers beat Jablonec 1-0 in a match characterised by disorganised play and a lack of attacking creativity.
The night was overshadowed by a mediocre performance that included the red card for midfielder Cammy Devlin five minutes after coming on to the field. Devlin, brought to the club to provide defensive solidity, received a straight red for an unnecessary challenge that compromised the home side's advantage.
Jablonec looked organised but lacked attacking threat. The visiting team offered little danger throughout the encounter. Ryan Naderi scored the winning goal in one of the few moments of coherent football Rangers managed to produce.
Rangers will take a 1-0 advantage into the second leg next week in the Czech Republic. The team's overall performance raised multiple concerns. For much of the first half, Rangers lacked movement, creativity and attacking ideas. Defenders constantly looked for passing options forward but found teammates static and tightly marked.
Ibrox stadium, with approximately 15,000 empty seats, showed a flat atmosphere. Rangers have made eleven new signings recently and around thirty since the current consortium arrived just over a year ago, with cumulative spending exceeding £50 million. Yet the team still lacks the quality and fluidity needed to compete with elite rivals such as Celtic.
