Alex Moucketou-Moussounda and Shavy Babicka had the Cypriot side two goals ahead before Abdallah Sima reduced the deficit at the Alphamega Stadium but it wasn’t enough for the Light Blues to find a route back into the match.
It was a first game in the dugout for interim manager Steven Davis as he named Jack Butland in goal and a back four of James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Ben Davies and Borna Barisic.
Nico Raskin returned to midfield after recovering from a calf injury which kept him out for three weeks and he was joined there by John Lundstram and Sam Lammers.
There was a first start in Europe this season for winger Scott Wright who provided the support for Cyriel Dessers alongside Abdallah Sima.
It was an open start to the match in Limassol, and Rangers’ first opportunity at goal came with six minutes on the clock. Butland released Cyriel Dessers from a goal kick, with the striker holding the ball up and feeding it into the path of John Lundstram. With sight of goal, Lundstram curled a left-footed shot towards Vana but it was just high of the target.
Shortly after, Jack Butland was called into action to block a low drilled strike from Mihlali Mayambela with the Rangers number one doing well to get down and deny the Cypriot side an opening goal.
However, just before the 10 minute mark in this match, it was the home side who took the lead. A short corner was played out to Leo Bengtsson who whipped the ball into the box, with Alex Moucketou-Moussounda rising and heading beyond Butland.
Aleksey Shpilevsky’s side almost managed to double their advantage a few minutes later as Mihlali Mayambela picked out Bengtsson unmarked in the box but he was unable to keep his effort down as it sailed over the bar.
Sam Lammers saw a shot saved as Dessers and Scott Wright linked-up down the right to open up the Limassol defence but goalkeeper Vana was able to hold the effort.
Rangers were searching for an equaliser as Sima played through Dessers who finished low into the back of the net but the linesman raised his flag to deny the striker an equaliser. After a VAR check, Romanian referee Horatiu Fesnic confirmed the goal was disallowed.
Slobodan Urosevic tried a shot at goal from a free-kick for Limassol as they were awarded the set-piece at the corner of the box, but his strike was just wide of Butland’s left-hand post.
Sima had a header from another good Borna Barisic corner as the match edged closer to half-time but Vana was able to hold the attempt from the on-loan Brighton forward.
Rangers had a good chance through Sima again, early in the second-half as he was able to pick the ball up in a dangerous position and released a powerful strike towards goal but it was blocked by Vana.
Just before the hour mark in this match it was 2-0 to the home side. Leo Bengtsson drove down the left, before delivering a ball into the box for Shavy Babicka to slot home from close range.
Kemar Roofe and Jose Cifuentes were introduced by Steven Davis with just over 20 minutes remaining as Rangers looked for a route back into this match.
With 70 minutes on the clock, Rangers had a goal back in this match. John Lundstram delivered a lovely ball into the box, with Abdallah Sima guiding a superb header beyond Vana for his seventh goal of the season.
Jack Butland denied the home side a third goal with a brilliant save from Limassol substitute Aleksandr Kokorin as Rangers were unable to clear a ball into the area from Babicka.
For the final five minutes of this match, Davis handed a European debut to 20-year-old Ross McCausland as he replaced Scott Wright.
With six minutes added on at the end of the 90, Rangers continued to search for an equaliser in this match but were unable to find an opening as the home side took all three points.
RANGERS: Butland, Tavernier, Goldson, Davies, Barisic, Lundstram, Raskin (CIfuentes, 68) Lammers (Roofe, 68), S. Wright (McCausland, 84), Sima, Dessers.
Subs: McCrorie, K. Wright, Souttar, Sterling, King, Devine, Fraser, Lyall, McKinnon.
Aris Limassol: Vana, Moucketou-Moussounda, Boakye (Brorsson, 80), Bengtsson (Kokorin, 68) Gomis (Stepinski, 89) Yago, Mayambela, Struski (Brown, 68) , Szoke, Urosevic, Babicka (Spoljaric, 89).
Subs: Chrysostomou, Sofroniou, Dimitriou, Montnor.