Christian Fassnacht scored a last‑gasp winner for Young Boys to leave Rangers empty-handed at the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf.
Rangers looked comfortable on the artificial surface in an open first half and broke the deadlock in the 44th minute when Alfredo Morelos shook off a defender and darted into the box before sliding the ball into the net.
It took Young Boys only five minutes of the second half to level things up as Roger Assalé fired in from close range before the hosts snatched three points deep into added time when Fassnacht drove home.
All four teams in Group G now have three points after Feyenoord defeated Porto in the pool’s other game.
Rangers’ manager, Steven Gerrard, was left ruing the absence of VAR. “Big moments in the game have gone against us. I think if we had VAR tonight they would have had a second yellow with [Frederik] Sorensen because Alfredo gets a yellow card for exactly the same incident. So that never went for us.
“The keeper has made a world-class save at 1-1, we could have taken the lead from that. And we’ve not got a blatant penalty as well with Alfredo. The human eye should get that one right but the reason why VAR is coming into the game is just for situations like that so you can go back and check,” Gerrard said.
“I’ve seen the first view of it and it’s as blatant as you like. It’s a clear penalty at a very important time of the match. That could have been a massive turning point. But we have to take this on the chin, it is what it is, there is no VAR so there is no point moaning about it.”
The sides cancelled each other out in the early stages as both teams enjoyed plenty of possession but created few clearcut chances. Jean-Pierre Nsame missed the game’s first meaningful opportunity when he stabbed the ball wide from close range after good buildup play from Fassnacht and Assalé.
Morelos darted into the box and shot at goal in the 36th minute but his tame effort was easily gathered by home goalkeeper David von Ballmoos.
The Colombian went through on goal again one minute before the break after turning a defender and latching on to Borna Barisic’s brilliant ball, and this time he found the back of the net with a shot beyond the home goalkeeper Von Ballmoos.
Less than a minute later, Sheyi Ojo flashed a dangerous ball across goal from the left but no one in a Rangers shirt was there to turn it in.
Young Boys equalised five minutes into the second half when Assalé poked in Ulisses Garcia’s cross from a few yards out. Morelos worked a good opening in the 53rd minute, unleashing a drive from the right and forcing Von Ballmoos into a good save.
Rangers appealed for a penalty four minutes later when Morelos appeared to be brought down in the area but the referee was not interested.
The Young Boys midfielder Gianluca Gaudino chanced his arm from range in the 63rd minute but Allan McGregor saved comfortably.
Connor Goldson headed over from a corner in the 77th minute as Rangers continued to push for a second.
Morelos almost stole victory for Rangers in the 90th minute but Von Ballmoos produced a sensational stop to keep his shot out. Young Boys compounded their misery when Fassnacht steered the ball in late in injury time.