Chaos at Ibrox as Error and Stoppage Time Dismissal Ruin Rangers’ Night

Rangers surrendered a crucial European victory at Ibrox as a night that should have reignited their Europa League campaign collapsed into individual mistakes, missed chances and another brutally honest verdict from James Tavernier.

Rangers went in front late in the first half when VAR spotted a handball from Fran Navarro. After a quick check at the monitor the referee pointed to the spot and James Tavernier stepped up, sending the keeper the wrong way and pulling level with Ally McCoist for European goals. It was exactly the moment the home crowd needed to lift a flat opening spell.

The second half should have been Rangers’ platform. Rodrigo Zalazar gifted them a major advantage by moving his head towards Nico Raskin in an off the ball clash. Once VAR called the referee over, the yellow card became red and Braga were reduced to ten. With over half an hour to go, Rangers had control, momentum and space to kill the game.

Instead they let it slip in the kind of fashion that has defined their group stage so far.

James Tavernier equalled Ally McCoist’s record of 21 European goals for the club this evening but says it’s important the side learn their lessons from tonight’s 1-1 draw with Braga in the UEFA Europa League League Phase.

👉 https://t.co/HmE1bjuHzd pic.twitter.com/Ne4LKyutCj

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) November 27, 2025

Braga draw level

Braga’s equaliser came from a sequence of errors that unravelled everything Rohl’s team had built. First Emmanuel Fernandez put Jack Butland under pressure with an unnecessary header back toward his own goal, conceding a cheap throw in. When the ball was returned into the box, Nasser Djiga hesitated, misjudged the flight, and flicked it straight into the path of Gabri Martinez. The Braga forward bounced his finish over Butland and stunned the stadium.

From that moment Rangers became anxious and predictable. Their shape loosened, the passing lost tempo and, even with ten men, Braga started to grow in confidence. Rohl’s side still threatened in moments, with Djeidi Gassama driving at defenders and Tavernier delivering from wide areas, but the calm needed in the final third completely disappeared.

Rohl turned to his bench, bringing on Thelo Aasgaard, Bojan Miovski and Oliver Antman in search of a late push. Instead, Rangers needed another big Butland save after more slack defending, as Braga nearly punished them for a second time.

The final blow arrived in stoppage time. Mohamed Diomande went into a challenge with his arm raised and collected a second yellow card. A night that had given Rangers every advantage ended with both sides playing with ten men and the home crowd staring at another avoidable result.

Tavernier summed up the mood with a blunt and honest assessment.

“It feels almost like a loss. We should have had that game tied up before anything happens at the back. Being a Rangers player you have to win every single game and that is what the fans expect. We were not clinical enough and we should have worked it much better with ten men.

“It is a missed opportunity. The record means nothing tonight because ultimately I wanted to win and get the three points.”

Rangers are off the bottom of the league phase table, but only narrowly. One point from their fixtures so far leaves them with a huge climb ahead, and nights like this, where a lead and a man advantage evaporate, only deepen the pressure on the squad as they try to salvage their European campaign.