Two red cards as Rangers held by Braga

James Tavernier scored a penalty as Rangers earned their first Europa League point of the season with a 1-1 draw at home to 10-man Braga.

Danny Rohl's side recovered from a slow start to claim a first-half lead but conceded a soft goal to Gabri Martinez in the second period, shortly after Rodrigo Zalazar had been sent off for violent conduct.

Rangers' Mohamed Diomande was also shown a red card in stoppage time for a second bookable offence.

The point lifts Rangers off the foot of the 36-team league but leaves them up against it if they are to qualify for the knock-out stages with just three matches left to play.

It was Braga who had the first real opportunity on a blustery night. Zalazar teed up Ricardo Horta and his low drive was well blocked by goalkeeper Jack Butland at the expense of a corner.

Minutes later and Butland saved his team again, reacting quickly to deny Horta after the Braga captain had broken through Rangers' offside trap.

Braga continued to look the side more likely to break the deadlock. Horta's flighted back-post cross was met by Gustaf Lagerbielke but the former Celtic defender's header failed to find the target.

Rangers finally had their first effort on goal 11 minutes before half-time. Diomande's pass to set up Danilo was under-hit and the striker's subsequent weak effort was easily gathered by Lukas Hornicek.

That incident, though, did finally seem to galvanise Rangers. Djeidi Gassama tested Hornicek with a ferocious near-post effort that was beaten away before Tavernier lashed the rebound high over the crossbar.

The Rangers captain, though, would be called into action again right before half-time when his team was awarded a penalty. Fran Navarro was adjudged to have handled at a corner and Tavernier confidently converted the spot-kick to give his team the lead at the break.

Rangers continued to press after the restart and the keeper did well to push away a fierce Gassama effort before Braga were reduced to 10 men.

Zalazar thrust his head in the direction of Nico Raskin off the ball and the referee was called to the VAR screen before producing a red card.

The 10 men, though, were soon gifted a fortuitous equaliser. Nasser Djiga completely misjudged an attempted headed clearance from Victor Gomez's cross and the ball fell for Martinez who rolled his shot past Butland.

Braga could have won it late on but the goalkeeper saved well from Gomez's bouncing effort to earn his team a point, before Diomande was dismissed late on.