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Derek McInnes has endured a rocky start to life in the Rangers hot seat, taking just one point from his first two league games in charge.
However, the former Gers midfielder, who almost led Hearts to an unlikely Scottish Premiership crown last term, will have been buoyed by his team’s most recent domestic performance, which led to a 5-1 thrashing of holders St Mirren in the second round of the Scottish League Cup. Four days later, Ryan Naderi’s close-range finish enabled Rangers to edge past Thursday’s opponents on home soil.
Meanwhile, FK Jablonec are currently in a rich vein of form, as evidenced by a series of positive results on both domestic and continental fronts. Luboš Kozel’s men won each of their opening three Chance Liga fixtures, leaving them just two points behind early leaders Slavia Prague despite having played two matches fewer.
Although the first-leg defeat in Glasgow was undoubtedly a setback, Jablonec have already proven they can recover from losing positions this term. The two-time Czech Cup winners registered a 2-0 triumph over NK Varaždin in the return leg of their second-round Conference League qualifier, after earlier losing 3-2 in Croatia. That aggregate victory set up a meeting with Latvian outfit RFS, who were far more easily dispatched.
Therefore, Rangers will have to produce a solid display at the Stadion Střelnice if they want to safely progress to the main draw of this season’s Conference League.
As was the case last Thursday, the return leg of this tie will be shown exclusively live on Rangers TV. Payment is required to gain access to this channel, with several subscription and pay-per-view options available.
Jablonec v Rangers key info
Date: Thursday, 27th August
Kick-off time: 17:00 (BST)
Venue: Stadion Střelnice (Jablonec, Czechia)
Referee: Nenad Minaković (Assistant Referees: Nikola Borović and Boško Božović, Fourth Official: Danilo Nikolić)
VAR: Mario Zebec (Assistant VAR: Pavle Tomić)
TV channels/live stream: Rangers TV
Odds: match result: Jablonec: 15/8, draw: 23/10, Rangers: 5/4
To qualify: Jablonec: 3/1, Rangers: 2/9
Odds provided by bet365
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Jablonec team news
As a consequence of featuring for former side IFK Göteborg in the current Conference League qualifying campaign, summer signing Saidou Alioum is ineligible to play. Given that he netted in both of his previous European appearances, the Cameroonian’s absence represents a considerable blow for the home side.
However, Luboš Kozel has plenty of other new arrivals at his disposal. Promising centre-back Dušan Pavlović provides an assured presence in defence, while Czech striker Antonín Růsek, who made a permanent switch from domestic rivals Sigma Olomouc in July following last season’s successful loan spell, adds further firepower to Jablonec’s attack. Fellow newcomer Hugo Ahl is also expected to play a part, although the highly-rated Swedish playmaker could make his impact from the bench.
Having tinkered around with his formation in recent weeks, it’s unclear as to whether Kozel will deploy a back three or alternatively adopt the 4-2-3-1 system we saw at Ibrox last week. Either way, the hosts are likely to sit in a relatively defensive shape until the latter stages, as they attempt to remain in the tie for as long as possible.
Jablonec have been afforded an 18-day rest from league duty, so the hosts should be fresh and raring to go on Thursday evening.
Jablonec predicted line-up v Rangers (3-4-1-2)
Coach: Luboš Kozel
Jan Hanuš (GK); Martin Cedidla, Dušan Pavlović, Nemanja Tekijaški; Vakhtang Chanturishvili, Sebastian Nebyla, Richard Sedláček, Matěj Polidar; Jan Suchan; Lamin Jawo, Antonín Růsek
Rangers team news
Although there is always the risk of some minor jet lag, Rangers were also afforded a break over the weekend and should therefore also be in peak condition.
Nevertheless, Derek McInnes must contend with several injury headaches. Tuur Rommens is out for several weeks with a groin strain, but at least James Penrice has proved an able deputy since sealing a loan switch from AEK Athens. Having sustained a cruciate ligament injury within hours of Galatasaray reportedly submitting a lucrative bid for his services, Youssef Chermiti now faces an extended spell on the sidelines.
Nico Raskin missed the first leg due to an ankle problem, but it looks as if he’ll be fit enough to start. There hasn’t been any sign of Ben Godfrey since the opening day draw at Tannadice, although there is a chance the Englishman could be involved in some capacity on Thursday night. However, there certainly won’t be a place in the squad for fellow central defender John Souttar, who appears to be surplus to requirements under the McInnes regime.
Cammy Devlin is also unavailable following his quick-fire dismissal in last week’s first leg. The Aussie midfielder was deservedly awarded a red card within five minutes of being introduced from the bench, after a reckless lunge on Jablonec full-back Jiri Slama.
Rangers predicted line-up v Jablonec (4-3-3)
Coach: Derek McInnes
Ivor Pandur (GK); Dujon Sterling, Olwethu Makhanya, Emmanuel Fernandez, James Penrice; Nicolas Raskin, Dan Neil, Tochi Chukwuani; Djeidi Gassama, Ryan Naderi, Daisuke Yokota
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Although every game in this season’s Conference League ‘proper’ will be screened on TNT Sports, no broadcaster has exclusive rights to televise the tournament’s qualifying phase. That presented an opportunity for Rangers to provide coverage of this week’s meeting in Czechia, and last Thursday’s clash, via their in-house media platform.
Rangers fans were able to purchase a two-match bundle ahead of this play-off tie, enabling them to tune into both legs for a total price of £16.99. Those who missed out on this offer are still able to watch events at the Stadion Střelnice unfold, with Rangers TV charging these customers a one-off fee of £10.99. Please note that pay-per-view sales will close 90 minutes before kick-off, so all transactions must go through before 15:30 (BST).
Alternatively, there is the option of signing up for a monthly subscription to Rangers TV Ultimate, which offers access to Thursday’s match alongside plenty of other content. This package is available for £24 per month or at the discounted annual rate of £240.
Head-to-head record
Given Jablonec’s relative inexperience on the continental stage, it’s perhaps unsurprising that these two teams have never previously met.
Jablonec have been drawn against a Scottish opponent in one previous tie, facing Celtic in the third qualifying round of the 2021/22 Europa League campaign. The Bhoys would comfortably advance to the play-offs, securing a 4-2 triumph in Jablonec ahead of a 3-0 win at Parkhead.
Rangers last played a Czech side at the beginning of last season, locking horns with Viktoria Plzeň as they attempted to qualify for the Champions League. A Cyriel Dessers penalty and a brace from Djeidi Gassama handed the 55-time Scottish champions a healthy first-leg lead, which was just as well as Plzeň claimed a 2-1 victory at the Doosan Arena.
Jablonec v Rangers odds
Match result
To qualify
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.
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