Rangers were eliminated from the Champions League after Dynamo Kyiv scored twice within two minutes late in the game at Hampden Park, following the dismissal of home winger Jefte.
Clinical strikes from Oleksandr Pikhalyonok and substitute Nazar Voloshyn mean Rangers will drop into the Europa League for the second consecutive season.
The Ukrainian visitors advance to the Champions League play-off round for the second time in three seasons and will face Salzburg, who overcame Twente 5-4 on aggregate after a thrilling 3-3 draw in Enschede.
With Rangers and Kyiv level after the first leg in Lublin, the turning point in Glasgow came when Jefte received a second yellow card five minutes into the second half following an aerial challenge on Oleksandr Karavayev.
Rangers started the match strongly, putting Dynamo’s defense under pressure. Jefte, making his first start for Rangers, headed wide from a James Tavernier cross before Cyriel Dessers nodded straight at goalkeeper Heorhiy Bushchan.
Bushchan also had to react quickly to push away a low shot from Ross McCausland, while Dynamo’s only threats were a few dangerous crosses from Vladyslav Kabayev that flashed across the Rangers’ six-yard box.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement replaced McCausland with Vaclav Cerny at half-time, but Jefte’s red card proved decisive. The decision from Italian referee Marco Guida seemed harsh on the 20-year-old, who had already received an early yellow card.
As possession shifted in favor of the visitors, Ukraine midfielder Karavayev dragged a shot wide on the break.
Despite being down to 10 men, Rangers applied intense pressure but were ultimately undone when Pikhalyonok and Voloshyn capitalized on the spaces left by the hosts.
Double blow for Rangers
Rangers began their temporary stay at Hampden Park with a 2-1 Premiership victory over Motherwell on Saturday but were disappointed by the number of empty seats for their first home European match at the national stadium.
Some discontent was evident among the home fans when it was announced that McCausland would start instead of Vaclav Cerny, who had scored his first Rangers goal over the weekend. Manager Philippe Clement explained that the medical staff had advised against starting Cerny in two games within a week, so Jefte replaced Scott Wright on the wing. In the first half, Jefte and McCausland proved to be Rangers’ most dangerous players.
Despite McCausland’s solid performance, he was substituted at halftime, which was unfortunate for him. Cerny displayed his skill, and his introduction might have changed the game’s dynamics had Rangers not been reduced to 10 men.
To add to the home side’s woes, left-back Ridvan Yilmaz had to be taken off on a stretcher late in the game.
Missed opportunity
Captain Vitaly Buyalskyi returned to Kyiv’s midfield for Friday’s 2-1 win over Veres Rivne and was one of only four players to retain their places after head coach Oleksandr Shovkovskyi opted to rest most of his first-leg starters for their domestic season opener.
Despite having their talisman back, Kyiv did not resemble the team that achieved an impressive 9-2 aggregate victory over Partizan Belgrade in the previous round.
Shovkovskyi also started Vladyslav Dubinchak ahead of Kostyantyn Vivcharenko, which allowed most of Rangers’ first-half threats to come from the area patrolled by the new left-back. This likely influenced Clement’s decision to introduce the more experienced Vaclav Cerny at halftime. However, the red card proved to be more decisive.
Rangers will feel they missed a golden opportunity to advance closer to the lucrative Champions League against fairly ordinary visitors.
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