Rangers laboured to a narrow 1-0 win over Jablonec in a Europa League play-off first leg at Ibrox, despite playing much of the match with ten men after midfielder Cammy Devlin was sent off for a reckless challenge. The result gives Derek McInnes' side a slender advantage to take into next week's second leg, but the performance drew heavy criticism for its lack of creativity and cohesion, raising fresh questions about the club's direction under new US ownership.

Rangers' winner came from Ryan Naderi in one of the few passages of coherent football on a night otherwise dominated by aimless, disjointed play, with Jablonec offering little attacking threat themselves. Positives were limited to a clean sheet, defensive solidity from Olwethu Makhanya, and promising displays from Djeidi Gassama and James Penrice. The wider concern centred on transfer spending under Andrew Cavenagh's consortium, which has made around 30 signings and spent close to £50-60m since taking over last summer, yet fielded a team many fans found dull and uninspired in front of a sparsely populated, 15,000-seats-short Ibrox.