Rangers have work to do at Ibrox on Thursday evening as they attempt to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Jagiellonia Białystok in the second leg of their Europa League third qualifying-round tie.

Derek McInnes is still searching for his first competitive victory since taking charge, with Rangers following their defeat in Poland with another setback against Hibernian at the weekend. Jagiellonia arrive in Glasgow with a narrow advantage and the opportunity to move one step closer to the Europa League league phase for the first time in their history.

The pressure is firmly on Rangers, who need a significant improvement if they are to prevent their European campaign dropping into the Conference League.

Rangers need a response after difficult start under McInnes

The appointment of McInnes was supposed to signal a fresh start following Rangers’ disappointing third-place finish last season, but the opening weeks of the new campaign have been anything but straightforward.

Lawrence Shankland and Cameron Devlin were among the summer additions designed to strengthen the squad, yet Rangers have collected just one draw from their opening three competitive fixtures.

A 1-1 draw against Dundee United was followed by the 2-1 defeat in Poland, before Hibernian inflicted another loss by the same scoreline at the weekend. It leaves McInnes facing significant early pressure to produce a result on Thursday.

Rangers actually struck first in the opening leg when Guilherme Montoia turned the ball into his own net, but they were unable to protect the advantage. Kajetan Szmyt scored twice in quick succession to turn the match around and give Jagiellonia something tangible to defend in Glasgow.

Returning to Ibrox should help, although Rangers’ recent European home record offers no guarantees. They have lost three of their last five continental fixtures on their own ground and cannot afford another uncertain performance.

McInnes is also dealing with several absentees. Youssef Chermiti, Connor Barron, Ben Godfrey and José Cifuentes remain unavailable, while Ryan Don Naderi could be brought into the attack alongside Shankland. Mohammed Diomande, Thelo Aasgaard and Djeidi Gassama are also pushing for starts after the weekend defeat.

Jagiellonia have shown they can handle European occasions

Jagiellonia may never have reached the Europa League proper, but they are hardly inexperienced when it comes to continental football.

The Polish side have qualified for the Conference League league phase in each of the last two seasons and produced some impressive performances along the way. Their 4-2 victory over Fiorentina last season ultimately proved insufficient to overturn a heavy first-leg deficit, but it demonstrated the attacking threat Adrian Siemieniec’s side can carry against high-level opposition.

Rangers experienced that threat themselves last week.

Szmyt’s quickfire brace transformed the first leg after Jagiellonia had fallen behind, and the forward should again form part of an attacking unit alongside Youssuf Sylla and Nik Prelec.

Their preparation for the trip to Glasgow was less encouraging, however. A 2-0 defeat to Widzew Łódź represented Jagiellonia’s first loss of the new campaign, while Mario Garcia and Przemysław Wiśniewski both emerged with injury concerns.

The visitors do not need to chase the game at Ibrox, but attempting to protect a one-goal advantage for 90 minutes would carry considerable risk. Rangers have struggled for results, yet the atmosphere and urgency of a European night in Glasgow should ensure Jagiellonia face sustained pressure at some stage.

Verdict

Rangers have made a poor start to life under McInnes, and the first-leg defeat means there is no room for another subdued performance.

Jagiellonia have enough European experience and attacking quality to make the second leg uncomfortable, particularly after proving they can punish Rangers when given opportunities in Poland. However, the visitors’ weekend defeat and potential injury problems provide further encouragement for the hosts.

Rangers should produce a much stronger performance at Ibrox and have enough quality to win the second leg, although overturning the aggregate deficit may require patience.

Tip

Rangers to win.