Rangers crash out of Conference League on penalties against Jablonec

Rangers crashed out of the UEFA Conference League playoffs after losing 4-3 in a penalty shootout against Czech side Jablonec. Derek McInnes's team had travelled to Czechia protecting a slim 1-0 advantage from the first leg at Ibrox, but a lifeless display at Stadion Strelnice proved their undoing. It is the club's second European blow in August, following their Europa League qualifying defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok.

• Rangers lose 4-3 on penalties after drawing the tie 1-1 on aggregate.
• Vakhtang Chanturishvili levels the tie in the 73rd minute with a low drive.
• Findlay Curtis blazes his spot-kick over; Jan Hanus saves from James Penrice.
• McInnes says he is embarrassed and mortified by his side's performance.
• Brighton seal a league phase spot with a commanding 4-0 win over Tromsø.

Rangers turn in a flat performance in Czechia

The Scottish side arrived at Stadion Strelnice aiming to protect their first-leg lead, but their approach was far too passive. For long spells, Rangers lacked the creativity and invention required to carve open a disciplined Jablonec back line. McInnes tried to shake things up after the break by introducing Lawrence Shankland, Connor Barron and Findlay Curtis, yet the visitors never found a foothold in the contest.

Chanturishvili levels the tie after the hour

Jablonec's equaliser on aggregate arrived in the 73rd minute, and it was fully deserved. Georgian midfielder Vakhtang Chanturishvili collected the ball in space and beat goalkeeper Ivor Pandur with a low drive from the edge of the area. The goal forced extra time, but neither side managed to find a winner, sending the tie to a shootout with the aggregate score locked at 1-1.

Penalty shootout woe seals Rangers' fate

From twelve yards, Pandur kept Rangers alive by saving Filip Zorvan's effort. However, Curtis skied his penalty over the crossbar and Hanus denied James Penrice, handing Jablonec the initiative. Jan Chramosta stepped up and buried the decisive kick to send the Czech side through to the league phase and leave Rangers with no European football this season.

McInnes refuses to make excuses after Rangers exit

I'm embarrassed with the performance. It wasn't a good performance at any stretch of the imagination. I'm not going to sit here and make any excuses whatsoever. It wasn't good enough. I thought the opposition were better than us in most aspects of the game so we got what we deserved. If we'd won it on penalties, we'd have taken it, but we'd have covered over the cracks. I'm mortified.

Brighton thrash Tromsø 4-0 to reach the league phase

Brighton booked their place in the Conference League league phase with a dominant 4-0 win over Tromsø at the Amex Stadium. After firing 25 shots without scoring in the goalless first leg in Norway, Fabian Hürzeler's side were far more clinical on home soil. First-half goals from Charalampos Kostoulas, Maxim De Cuyper and Mats Wieffer put the tie beyond doubt, and Olivier Boscagli added a deflected fourth late on.

More Scottish heartbreak for Motherwell and Hibernian

Rangers were not the only Scottish club to suffer a painful European exit. Motherwell lost 4-1 away to Freiburg, with Jake Girdwood-Reich's red card just before the hour mark proving costly. Emmanuel Longelo had cancelled out Derry Scherhant's opener after a mistake from home goalkeeper Mio Backhaus, but goals from Igor Matanovic, Cyriaque Irie and Keisuke Goto sealed a 7-2 aggregate win for the Germans. Hibernian, meanwhile, endured a stoppage-time heartbreak at Easter Road: Miguel Chaiwa's own goal gave Gent a 3-2 win and eliminated Hibs at this stage for the second year running.

FAQs about Rangers' Conference League elimination