RANGERS TAKE THE LEAD AGAINST JABLONEC
Ibrox roared tonight as Rangers pushed themselves in front against FK Jablonec in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off tie. After a stuttering start to the season under new boss Derek McInnes, this was the kind of European night the Ibrox faithful had been waiting for, and the home crowd made sure their team felt every ounce of that support from the opening whistle.
The Czech visitors arrived at Ibrox in red-hot form, unbeaten in six straight matches and having dispatched Rigas Futbola Skola to reach this stage of qualifying. On paper they looked like anything but a soft touch, and their early spells of possession suggested Jablonec had come to Glasgow with real belief. But Rangers, buoyed by their emphatic 5-1 win over St Mirren just days earlier, refused to be intimidated by that reputation and gradually asserted control of the game.
Taking the lead will be a huge psychological boost for a Rangers side that had managed just one win in five matches before this tie. McInnes has overhauled the squad significantly since the summer, bringing in the likes of Lawrence Shankland and Daisuke Yokota, and this is exactly the kind of moment new signings need to help deliver. Going ahead at home in a two-legged European tie gives the Gers a platform to build from, rather than chase the game against a Jablonec side that has proven difficult to break down all summer.
There is still a long way to go in this tie, with a second leg to follow in Czechia next week, and Jablonec’s recent form means nothing is settled yet. But for a Rangers team searching for momentum and a manager still finding his feet, taking the lead against a side unbeaten in six was a statement worth making. Ibrox will hope it is the first step toward a return to the Conference League’s league phase.
