Rangers manager Derek McInnes is still searching for his first win after two games in charge, following a goalless draw at Dundee United and a 2-1 first-leg Europa League qualifying defeat away to Jagiellonia Bialystok. Many fans had hoped his appointment would break the cycle of managers arriving with promise and leaving under criticism, but the same defensive frailties that undermined Rangers last season have resurfaced, with McInnes himself admitting the team "beat ourselves" in Poland.

Rangers conceded a soft goal within 13 minutes after being cut open on the counter-attack, with the central defensive pairing of Dujon Sterling and Emmanuel Fernandez particularly exposed; former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday questioned whether McInnes could currently trust Fernandez despite his attributes. Nine new signings have arrived this summer with more expected, yet McInnes says his side must become "far more stingy" defensively. A half-time triple substitution, bringing on Cammy Devlin, Findlay Curtis and Nicolas Raskin, improved Rangers' second-half performance as they push for a positive result in the second leg.