Ryan Naderi's goal just after half-time gave Rangers a slender 1-0 first-leg lead over Jablonec in the Conference League, but substitute Cammy Devlin's red card made for a tense finish at Ibrox.
Derek McInnes' side welcomed the Czech opponents on the back of a 13-game run in which they had lost ten games and won just one. A defeat here would have seen the club plumb new depths and threatened the possibility of missing out on league phase action altogether.
Naderi's Strike Breaks the Deadlock
Having made half-time changes in all five of his previous games in charge, McInnes opted to stick with the same XI who had laboured through a drab first period. He was rewarded within five minutes of the restart when James Penrice released Gassama down the left, Dan Neil clipped a back-post ball to Daisuke Yakota, and his knockdown was converted by Naderi.
Only an ugly close-range miss from Gassama prevented Rangers from adding a quick-fire second. Gers were made to sweat through the final 15 minutes when Devlin got his marching orders for a crude knee-high tackle on Jiri Slama, just five minutes after replacing Vanja Dragojevic.
McInnes Eyes League Phase
Having ticked off his first win as Rangers boss with Sunday's Premier Sports Cup win over St Mirren, McInnes is hoping to score off another career ambition next week. The former Aberdeen boss led the Dons into Europe seven times but never got further than the third qualifying round. By reaching the play-offs with Gers, this is already his best result in UEFA competition, but the league phase is the target.
McInnes last week admitted his team still are not ready for the Champions League and the Europa. On this evidence, they still have to step things up considerably to be certain of making the Conference League proper.
Naderi's Form and Neil's Caution
McInnes was full of praise for Naderi's work off the ball at the weekend, but the big German is judged on what he does in the penalty box. Having netted only three times last term after his big £5m move from Hansa Rostock in January, there were fans questioning the fee. Two goals in two games should cut him some slack, though there are still too many occasions where he fails to protect the ball well enough in build up.
Dan Neil, the former Sunderland skipper, was supposed to add leadership and drive in midfield, but his safety-first approach succeeded only in putting the brakes on the pace of Gers' play. McInnes admitted this week that captain Lawrence Shankland is not guaranteed a start, and that likely goes for his deputy too.
Financial and Confidence Concerns
Rangers took a hit north of £5m in prize money alone when dropping down from the Europa to the Conference League. The fall into Uefa's third-tier tournament has done nothing to improve ticket sales, with Ibrox well down on capacity for the third game running. McInnes hoped the Saints triumph would boost confidence, but self-belief looked tanked during a drab first-half display.
Manny Fernandez's composure has collapsed, Tochi Chukwuani often looks like he's running on fumes, and Gassama's tendency to blow hot and cold has Ibrox going tonto. On the plus side, Olwethu Makhanya and James Penrice look like solid additions.
Raskin's Future Uncertain
Nico Raskin's name was the surprise omission from McInnes' line-up, coming just hours after reports in Turkey claimed the Belgian international was being eyed up by Istanbul giants Fenerbahce. McInnes confirmed Raskin was left out due to an ankle knock he has been nursing, having required an injection after Sunday's St Mirren win. Gers are banking on his sale providing a major windfall, but if he does not go this window, serious thought may have to go into extending his deal, which now has only two years left to run.
