RANGERS WERE LEFT reeling as they crashed out of the Uefa Conference League play-offs with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out defeat to Jablonec at Stadion Strelnice, while Mohamed Salah’s Trabzonspor crashed out of the Europa League.
Leading 1-0 from the first leg at Ibrox last week, Derek McInnes’s side turned in a turgid performance in the Czech Republic which lacked creativity and invention, and it proved costly.
A half-time reboot, with skipper Lawrence Shankland, Connor Barron and Findlay Curtis coming on and a different shape, did little to improve their play and Jablonec midfielder Vakhtang Tchanturishvili deservedly levelled the tie in the 73rd minute with a drive which took the game to 1-1 on aggregate and extra-time.
There were no more goals, which brought penalties, and although Gers keeper Ivor Pandur saved from Filip Zorvan, Rangers attacker Findlay Curtis fired his spot-kick over the bar and James Penrice was thwarted by Jablonec keeper Jan Hanus, leaving Jan Chramosta to fire in the decisive kick.
The defeat is a huge blow to the Govan side, who were knocked out of the Europa League qualifiers by Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok and whose massive rebuild under McInnes is struggling to get off the ground.
FK Jablonec players celebrate their win. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
With European football over for the season while still in August, the Ibrox side have to pick themselves up for the trip to Aberdeen in the William Hill Premiership on Sunday as they are already five points behind Celtic, St Mirren and Dundee.
It was a struggle for Rangers from the early stages. The home side fashioned a great chance in the 13th minute when striker Lamin Jawo raced on to a Jan Suchan pass with the Gers defence flat-footed, but failed to hit the target with only keeper Ivor Pandur to beat.
At the other end, in a rare Gers threat, midfielder Tochi Chukwuani met a James Penrice cross, but his header from 12 yards was grabbed out of the air by Jablonec keeper Jan Hanus.
In the 28th minute, Jawo’s header drew a save from Pandur and by the end of the first half Rangers were sitting deep, offering little going forward.
Shankland, Curtis and Barron took over from Dan Neil, Daisuke Yokota and Djeidi Gassama as McInnes looked for a marked upturn in form.
However, Jablonec remained on the front foot, and Pandur clutched a 20-yard volley from Suchan at the second attempt.
In the 52nd minute, Jablonec playmaker Richard Sedlacek raced clear of the Gers defence on the break but he too missed the target with his shot, before the offside flag went up.
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Suchan fired over the bar before Thelo Aasgaard took over from Vanja Dragojevic in another Gers change.
However, the game changed when Tchanturishvili cut inside Penrice and, from an angle, fired the ball low past Pandur, stunning the visitors and their 900-strong travelling support.
Kosta Nedeljkovic replaced Ryan Naderi for Rangers, a final change that made no difference, and the 90 minutes passed with no more goals.
A low-quality performance by Rangers continued into the extra half-hour, where striker Bojan Miovski replaced right-back Dujon Sterling.
Jablonec substitute Chramosta came close with an angled drive in the 106th minute, but almost inevitably the game went to penalties. And although Shankland, Miovski and Aaasgard all netted, it was not enough to prevent a damaging defeat in terms of finance and morale.
Regan Charles-Cook of Motherwell reacts during the game. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Meanwhile, Motherwell were left to rue another costly red card as their European adventure ended with a 4-1 defeat away to Europa League finalists Freiburg.
A week after Martin Moormann’s sending off paved the way for the Germans to win 3-1 in the first leg of their Conference League play-off, Well had Jake Girdwood-Reich dismissed just before the hour mark while the second leg in Europa-Park Stadion was level at 1-1.
Emmanuel Longelo’s equaliser, following a blunder from home goalkeeper Mio Backhaus, cancelled out an early opener from Derry Scherhant.
But Well’s hopes of emerging unscathed from a formidable trip to Germany were dashed by two set-piece goals within minutes of the red card before a late strike from Keisuke Goto sealed a 7-2 aggregate win.
Brighton and Hove Albion defender Olivier Boscagli (21) celebrates a goal. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Elsewhere, Brighton booked their place in the Conference League league phase with a comfortable 4-0 play-off victory over Tromso at the Amex Stadium.
Albion had work to do in Thursday evening’s second leg after failing to capitalise on 25 attempts at goal during last week’s 0-0 draw in Norway.
Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls were far more ruthless on home soil, with first-half finishes from Charalampos Kostoulas, Maxim De Cuyper and Mats Wieffer putting them firmly in control of the tie.
Olivier Boscagli added a deflected fourth late on to seal a place in Friday’s draw on the back of Sunday’s thumping 4-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa.
Ahead of kick-off, Brighton unveiled Algeria left-back Jaouen Hadjam following his move from Swiss champions Young Boys, before a minute’s applause was held in memory of former Seagulls manager Mike Bailey, who died last week aged 84.
Warren O'Hora of Hibs leads the players off after defeat to KAA Gent. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Miguel Chaiwa scored a stoppage-time own goal as Hibernian suffered Conference League play-off despair for the second year running in a 3-2 home defeat by Gent.
Irish pair Jamie McGrath and Warren O’Hora featured, though Owen Elding was injured and Jacob Devaney ineligible for the Scottish side.
Following a goalless first leg in Belgium last week, the Hibees looked on course to make it to the main phase for the first time after second-half goals from Jason Kerr and Felix Passlack overturned a stunning first-half opener from teenage forward Josue Vergara.
But Christian Burgess equalised in the 84th minute before Hibs midfielder Chaiwa slid the ball into his own net in stoppage time, ensuring another agonising European exit after a 4-3 aggregate defeat by Legia Warsaw at the same stage a year earlier.
Trabzonspor's Mohamed Salah, right, and FTC's Adam Nagy battle for the ball. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Nigerian Toluwalase Arokodare scored a brace as Ajax stormed into the league phase with a 5-3 victory over Sion, whose forward Winsley Boteli bagged a hat-trick, for a 9-5 aggregate success.
Italy’s Atalanta avoided a potential shock as Gianluca Scamacca scored the only goal of the tie away to Hapoel Tel-Aviv.
Germans Freiburg, who lost in the Europa League final to Aston Villa in May, French side Monaco and Spaniards Getafe also progressed.
In the Europa League, Egyptian star Mohamed Salah’s Trabzonspor were thumped 4-0 by Ferencvaros and dumped out of the competition 5-0 on aggregate, although they were hampered by two red cards.
Ireland international Callum O’Dowda opened the scoring for the Hungarians.
Benfica and Anderlecht, two sides who have won European competitions in the past, both eased into the league phase, easily eliminating Aarhus and Kairat Almaty respectively.
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Rangers suffer European heartache, night to forget for Mo Salah
Updated at 22.44
RANGERS WERE LEFT reeling as they crashed out of the Uefa Conference League play-offs with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out defeat to Jablonec at Stadion Strelnice, while Mohamed Salah’s Trabzonspor crashed out of the Europa League.
Leading 1-0 from the first leg at Ibrox last week, Derek McInnes’s side turned in a turgid performance in the Czech Republic which lacked creativity and invention, and it proved costly.
A half-time reboot, with skipper Lawrence Shankland, Connor Barron and Findlay Curtis coming on and a different shape, did little to improve their play and Jablonec midfielder Vakhtang Tchanturishvili deservedly levelled the tie in the 73rd minute with a drive which took the game to 1-1 on aggregate and extra-time.
There were no more goals, which brought penalties, and although Gers keeper Ivor Pandur saved from Filip Zorvan, Rangers attacker Findlay Curtis fired his spot-kick over the bar and James Penrice was thwarted by Jablonec keeper Jan Hanus, leaving Jan Chramosta to fire in the decisive kick.
The defeat is a huge blow to the Govan side, who were knocked out of the Europa League qualifiers by Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok and whose massive rebuild under McInnes is struggling to get off the ground.
With European football over for the season while still in August, the Ibrox side have to pick themselves up for the trip to Aberdeen in the William Hill Premiership on Sunday as they are already five points behind Celtic, St Mirren and Dundee.
It was a struggle for Rangers from the early stages. The home side fashioned a great chance in the 13th minute when striker Lamin Jawo raced on to a Jan Suchan pass with the Gers defence flat-footed, but failed to hit the target with only keeper Ivor Pandur to beat.
At the other end, in a rare Gers threat, midfielder Tochi Chukwuani met a James Penrice cross, but his header from 12 yards was grabbed out of the air by Jablonec keeper Jan Hanus.
In the 28th minute, Jawo’s header drew a save from Pandur and by the end of the first half Rangers were sitting deep, offering little going forward.
Shankland, Curtis and Barron took over from Dan Neil, Daisuke Yokota and Djeidi Gassama as McInnes looked for a marked upturn in form.
However, Jablonec remained on the front foot, and Pandur clutched a 20-yard volley from Suchan at the second attempt.
In the 52nd minute, Jablonec playmaker Richard Sedlacek raced clear of the Gers defence on the break but he too missed the target with his shot, before the offside flag went up.
Suchan fired over the bar before Thelo Aasgaard took over from Vanja Dragojevic in another Gers change.
However, the game changed when Tchanturishvili cut inside Penrice and, from an angle, fired the ball low past Pandur, stunning the visitors and their 900-strong travelling support.
Kosta Nedeljkovic replaced Ryan Naderi for Rangers, a final change that made no difference, and the 90 minutes passed with no more goals.
A low-quality performance by Rangers continued into the extra half-hour, where striker Bojan Miovski replaced right-back Dujon Sterling.
Jablonec substitute Chramosta came close with an angled drive in the 106th minute, but almost inevitably the game went to penalties. And although Shankland, Miovski and Aaasgard all netted, it was not enough to prevent a damaging defeat in terms of finance and morale.
Meanwhile, Motherwell were left to rue another costly red card as their European adventure ended with a 4-1 defeat away to Europa League finalists Freiburg.
A week after Martin Moormann’s sending off paved the way for the Germans to win 3-1 in the first leg of their Conference League play-off, Well had Jake Girdwood-Reich dismissed just before the hour mark while the second leg in Europa-Park Stadion was level at 1-1.
Emmanuel Longelo’s equaliser, following a blunder from home goalkeeper Mio Backhaus, cancelled out an early opener from Derry Scherhant.
But Well’s hopes of emerging unscathed from a formidable trip to Germany were dashed by two set-piece goals within minutes of the red card before a late strike from Keisuke Goto sealed a 7-2 aggregate win.
Elsewhere, Brighton booked their place in the Conference League league phase with a comfortable 4-0 play-off victory over Tromso at the Amex Stadium.
Albion had work to do in Thursday evening’s second leg after failing to capitalise on 25 attempts at goal during last week’s 0-0 draw in Norway.
Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls were far more ruthless on home soil, with first-half finishes from Charalampos Kostoulas, Maxim De Cuyper and Mats Wieffer putting them firmly in control of the tie.
Olivier Boscagli added a deflected fourth late on to seal a place in Friday’s draw on the back of Sunday’s thumping 4-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa.
Ahead of kick-off, Brighton unveiled Algeria left-back Jaouen Hadjam following his move from Swiss champions Young Boys, before a minute’s applause was held in memory of former Seagulls manager Mike Bailey, who died last week aged 84.
Miguel Chaiwa scored a stoppage-time own goal as Hibernian suffered Conference League play-off despair for the second year running in a 3-2 home defeat by Gent.
Irish pair Jamie McGrath and Warren O’Hora featured, though Owen Elding was injured and Jacob Devaney ineligible for the Scottish side.
Following a goalless first leg in Belgium last week, the Hibees looked on course to make it to the main phase for the first time after second-half goals from Jason Kerr and Felix Passlack overturned a stunning first-half opener from teenage forward Josue Vergara.
But Christian Burgess equalised in the 84th minute before Hibs midfielder Chaiwa slid the ball into his own net in stoppage time, ensuring another agonising European exit after a 4-3 aggregate defeat by Legia Warsaw at the same stage a year earlier.
Nigerian Toluwalase Arokodare scored a brace as Ajax stormed into the league phase with a 5-3 victory over Sion, whose forward Winsley Boteli bagged a hat-trick, for a 9-5 aggregate success.
Italy’s Atalanta avoided a potential shock as Gianluca Scamacca scored the only goal of the tie away to Hapoel Tel-Aviv.
Germans Freiburg, who lost in the Europa League final to Aston Villa in May, French side Monaco and Spaniards Getafe also progressed.
In the Europa League, Egyptian star Mohamed Salah’s Trabzonspor were thumped 4-0 by Ferencvaros and dumped out of the competition 5-0 on aggregate, although they were hampered by two red cards.
Ireland international Callum O’Dowda opened the scoring for the Hungarians.
Benfica and Anderlecht, two sides who have won European competitions in the past, both eased into the league phase, easily eliminating Aarhus and Kairat Almaty respectively.
Additional reporting by AFP and Paul Fennessy
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