Will there be a comeback? Prediction for Rangers vs Jagiellonia — 13.08.2026
Headline: Can Ibrox spark a comeback? Prediction for Rangers vs Jagiellonia — 13.08.2026
On Thursday, August 13, 2026, the Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow will host the second leg of the Europa League third qualifying round between Rangers and Jagiellonia. In Poland, Adrian Siemieniec's side claimed a 2-1 victory, meaning the Scots now need to overturn a narrow deficit in front of their home fans. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:30 UK time.
Subheading: Rangers — defeat in Poland raises questions over defense
The start of the season has been far from easy for Derek McInnes' team. In the opening round of the Scottish Premiership, Rangers could only draw 1-1 against Dundee United, and then fell to Jagiellonia in Bialystok. The result of the first Europa League leg was especially frustrating considering the Scots went ahead as early as the fourth minute: a low cross from Thuur Rommens ended with an own goal from Guilherme Montoya.
However, the visitors could not hold on to their lead. Kajetan Szmyt leveled in the 13th minute, and just eight minutes later completed his brace after Rangers lost possession and Erik Prelec sparked a quick attack. Up to the break, it was Jagiellonia who looked more dangerous, regularly finding space behind the Rangers’ midfield.
McInnes reacted decisively at half-time, immediately bringing on Connor Devlin, Nicolas Raskin, and Findlay Curtis in place of Lennon Miller-Neil, Tochi Chukwuani, and Koki Yokota. The pattern of play changed after that. Rangers seized the initiative, pushed into the hosts’ box more often, and Curtis hit the post late on. That second half in Bialystok gives the home side every reason to believe a comeback is possible.
There’s a personnel issue though: Ben Godfrey is set to miss three to four weeks with a hamstring injury and won’t be fit for the return leg. Still, UEFA's official squad list leaves McInnes with plenty of options in midfield and attack — Raskin, Devlin, Diomande, Oscar Cortes?, Lawrence Shankland, Youssef Chermiti, Findlay Curtis, and Danilo Gassama are all available.
Subheading: Jagiellonia — advantage in hand, but sitting back could be dangerous
The Polish side comes into this clash in good form. Before the first leg against Rangers, Jagiellonia won both opening rounds of the Ekstraklasa and enjoyed a successful pre-season. The victory over the Scots further confirmed that Siemieniec's team can efficiently punish mistakes and transition swiftly from defense to attack.
The star of the first game was Kajetan Szmyt. His two goals turned the match around in just eight minutes. Jesus Imaz played a key role again, while Erik Prelec consistently linked up attacks and directly contributed to the second goal. After the match, Prelec himself noted that Rangers played largely as the Poles expected, but admitted: in Glasgow, the team faces a real battle to progress.
Jagiellonia now have a comfortable scenario. They don’t need to dominate possession — they can defend compactly, force Rangers to push up, and look for space for Szmyt, Imaz, and Prelec on the break. But parking the bus is risky: the second half of the first leg showed that under sustained pressure, the Polish defense will concede chances.
Subheading: Probable lineups
As of August 9, when this preview was prepared, both teams were still due to play league matches — Rangers against Hibernian, and Jagiellonia against Widzew. So the final squad situation may still change by August 13.
- Rangers: Pandur — McCrorie, Fernandez, Sterling, Rommens — Devlin, Raskin — Curtis, Osgor, Gassama — Shankland.
- Jagiellonia: Abramowicz — Wojtuszek, Konstantopoulos, Kobayashi, Montoya — Conceicao, Romanczuk, Lozano, Szmyt — Imaz, Prelec.
UEFA's official squad lists for this round confirm the availability of all named players, and Jagiellonia's predicted lineup is based on the team used in the first leg.
Subheading: Match facts
- The first leg ended in a 2-1 win for Jagiellonia.
- Rangers failed to win either of their opening two official matches this season prior to facing Hibernian: 1-1 against Dundee United and 1-2 against Jagiellonia.
- Jagiellonia won their first two Ekstraklasa matches this season before beating Rangers in Europe.
- The winner of this tie will play the winner of Larne vs Iberia 1999 in the Europa League play-off round, while the loser will drop into the Conference League qualifiers.
Subheading: Rangers must step up at home — match prediction
The first leg revealed two sides to this Rangers squad. In the first half, McInnes’ men were far too fragile after losing possession and allowed Jagiellonia to turn the game around quickly, but after the changes, the Scots almost completely took control. Now, the hosts have no reason to play it safe: trailing 1-2, they’ll need to ramp up the tempo from the opening whistle and make the most of their home advantage.
For Jagiellonia, this style of football is both comfortable and dangerous. The Poles have already shown they can punish Rangers in transition, so fans shouldn’t expect a routine home win without nerves. But over 90 minutes, the home side’s depth in attack, the pressure of Ibrox, and the need to go forward should create far more chances for the Scots than they had in Bialystok.
The bookmakers also make Rangers clear favorites for the return leg: the best available odds for a home win are around 1.60.
Prediction: Rangers to win.
