Rangers blow Europa League opportunity as Braga earn Ibrox point

James Tavernier broke the deadlock from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime, before the visitors were rendered a man light after a moment of madness from forward Rodrigo Zalazar, who motioned to headbutt Nicolas Raskin, leaving the referee no choice but to brandish the red card once he was alerted by VAR.

Despite taking the lead and having a man advantage for most of the match, Rangers defence once again proved brittle though, as they conceded an avoidable equaliser despite the man advantage. Nasser Djiga's misplaced header fell straight into the path of Gabri Martinez to level the score, and leave Rangers with little hope of qualifying any further than the league phase of this year's competition. Mohamed Diomande was shown a late red card, his second in the competition, to level the numbers but it made little difference on the final outcome.

Read more:

• Danny Rohl addresses Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell Rangers sackings
• Why Cavenagh sacked Stewart and Thelwell: Fan feeling, investor pressure, transfers

A missed opportunity for Rohl's side

In a game of attrition where quality football was at a premium, Rangers will come away disappointed at not securing their first three points of the campaign given how events unfolded on the night.

For so long Thursday night's belonged to Rangers and it was on this stage where they saved their best performances. However, it was a notably flat affair from the first whistle to the last.

While they could and should have sealed victory, a sense of apathy pervaded the ground on hearing the full time whistle as attention turns firmly back to league matters on Sunday.

Tavernier steps up again

What started as a 4-3-3 on paper, meandered into a 4-2-3-1 without the ball, with Diomande pushing further up the park into the number 10 position. When the 4-3-3 did emerge, it left Danilo on the left wing tracking back to aid Max Aarons in defence, somewhat blunting the striker's attacking threat.

Rangers' maiden clear cut chance came when Diomande received a Tavernier pass on the half turn. He slid in Danilo with a ball that could've been easier for his teammate to run on to and the Brazilian's finish was equally as tame. Moments later the ball broke to Tavernier on the edge of the area but he could only blaze his effort high into the Broomloan Stand.

It looked increasingly unlikely that Rangers were going to score from open play and they were given a lifeline by way of a VAR awarded penalty on the stroke of half-time. Fran Navarro inexplicably raised his arm when attempting to head away a corner and referee Allad Lindhout was given little choice but to point to the spot. Up stepped Tavernier to decisively dispatch the opener, giving Ibrox a much needed lift going into the break.

In a season where the narrative around the captain was one winding down his career in Govan, it was he who Rangers looked to at the sharp end of the pitch, just as they had done three years earlier when he opened the scoring against the same opposition in 2022. It was the right back's 21st in Europe for the club, equalling the record held by Ally McCoist.

Braga capitalise on defensive issues

The home side matched the intensity that the manager had called for in the build up, although it Braga who had the better of the early chances despite Rangers' possession. Ricardo Horta was quickly emerging as the threat for the visitors. But it was a familar face who came closest to opening the scoring. Former Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke rose highest at a corner on the half hour mark, but saw his header flash wide of the far post.

Despite their lofty position in the Europa League standings prior to kick off, it was a largely underwhelming performance from the Portuguese outfit who, while looking functional, offered very little to impose themselves on the game.

A petulant headbutt by Zalazar on Raskin resulted in VAR once again intervening and a red card being flashed in the direction of the forward which offered Rangers a clear path to victory.

Rohl's men did their best to allow their opponents back into the game though, as Emmanuel Fernandez's nervous header back to Butland forced the stopper off of his line to volley the ball away to prevent a corner.

It went to from bad to worse for Rangers when Djiga's header inside the box wrong footed Tavernier and fell perfectly to Gabri Martinez, who managed to edge the ball into the corner beyond Butland.

A subdued night in the stands

Stewart and Thelwell banners are gone, but problems remain. When the news broke on Monday afternoon that CEO Patrick Stewart and Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell were sacked by Andrew Cavenagh, it was met with almost universal positivity by the Rangers support. This was the first time they were back as a collective, but what would the atmosphere be like now the two main subjects of their ire had been removed?

The banners calling for the removal of the Ibrox executive were conspicuous by their absence, but the Thursday night roar that had so often harmonised with the Europa League anthem was still dimmed, perhaps owing to the fact that although changes had been made, only results will truly bring this support back on side this year.

The frustration with under performing players remained as stray passes and missed chances were treated with the usual grumbles. However there was a tangible shift away from the animosity that had been so prevalent.

The Chermiti Conundrum

If it not already lost, the Rangers support are rapidly losing patience with their £8 million pound summer signing. One goal against Kilmarnock that prompted a cupping of the ear towards the support has done little to ingratiate the forward, whose career so far at Ibrox has been punctuated by misses.

The most optimistic of Rangers supporters will say that each passing game is another opportunity for the young Portuguese to announce himself as a player that this team can hang I their hat on, and in the early exchanges he offered some impressive hold up play. However such is the nature of his weighty price tag, that each touch is measured in terms of value for money, and acting as an out ball is the very least that the fans expect.

It is often said that there is hope for any striker, so long as they are getting the chances to miss and Chermiti was not without his opportunities. Minutes before the break, with the score level, the 21-year old found himself on the end of a deep cross to the back post that was begging to be hit first time. Perhaps a confident striker would've lashed it towards goal, but the number 9 does not cut a figure brimming with self belief, taking a touch to try and force the ball home, by which time he was closed down and the chance was gone.

With a little more luck he could've been on the scoresheet with 57 minutes played. He was in the right place to turn a cross towards goal but saw it cleared off the line. He was replaced to a smattering of applause with minutes left, having watched another match pass by without asserting himself on it.