Rangers slumped to narrow 1-0 defeat in Portugal against Braga after a goal from Abel Ruiz separated the teams.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men will need to win the quarter-final second leg at Ibrox to progress to the last four but that won't faze them after a tight match where there was clearly little between the sides.

It was a close game in which Rangers were far from their best but the result sets things up nicely for next week.

Sakala looks lost

"It's one thing having pace. It's another knowing what to do with it."

While Ally McCoist didn't name Fashion Sakala as he embarked on a frustrated lament in the second half, it was obvious who the barb was aimed at. The Zambian is keen as mustard and seems a lovely man but he's simply very undercooked at this level. He has all the tools to cause major problems but at 25, you have to wonder if he can put his game together in a meaningful enough way to make a Rangers impact. Once again tonight he was off the pace, despite being handed the chance to show his quality on a substantial stage. It was no surprise when the former Oostende man was hooked early in the second half. If he was 21, you'd say he's done enough this season as a project player and deserves another season to improve. At his actual age though, you wonder how much development he has left.

Individual mistakes once again prove costly

Despite being largely the same players that were solid as a rock last term, Rangers have developed a serious issue with established players having unprompted brain farts. Leon Balgoun was at it tonight as his sliced clearance led to Ruiz's goal. It must be incredibly frustrating for Giovanni van Bronckhorst to see so many instances where experienced players make basic and costly errors. It cost them the Old Firm game at the weekend and again here tonight.

It's a situation that also extends to the attacking play. James Tavernier, a man with a quality right foot has suddenly found himself bizarrely unable to deliver an effective corner or free-kick. There were five instances in the first-half where such situations were completely wasted. It's not good enough at a stage of the season where quality counts decisively.

All to play for

While Rangers were not particularly good tonight, the good news is that Braga are no great shakes either. Sure, Carlos Carvalhal's men are neat and tidy but it's not a surprise they struggled against Red Star and are certainly nowhere near the level of Dortmund. At a packed, rocking Ibrox, Rangers have every right to think they can reach the semi-finals. It will be a huge night in Govan and you'd expect the 12th man to make a huge difference. They will have to be better going forward than they showed in Portugal tonight, but the semi-final place is there to grab if they can only reach out.