Rangers

The 2-1 defeat by Celtic at Parkhead on Saturday was the first loss for manager Philippe Clement in 17 games since taking over from Michael Beale in October and it left the Light Blues trailing the cinch Premiership leaders by eight points, albeit with two games in hand.

The Gers skipper scored a terrific free-kick in the 88th minute to make it a nervy ending for the Scottish champions, who had been leading through goals from Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo Furuhashi before Rangers defender Leon Balogun was sent off at 2-0 for denying Celtic striker Daizen Maeda a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Tavernier looks forward to putting things right against Killie at Ibrox in the final game before the winter break.

He told RangersTV: “It is an important game and obviously we have to play really good football because Kilmarnock are in form.

“We have got to play the best we possibly can, the way the manager wants us to.

“It is important to get the three points to finish before the break and there are plenty of games after that.”

On the disappointing defeat by their Old Firm rivals which dented their title hopes, Tavernier reflected: “They were more clinical than us. Yes, we created some really good chances, but we couldn’t find the back of the net.

“We have just got be a bit more clinical in front of that goal and it could have been a different score line, but it wasn’t meant to be.

“So obviously there’s positives to take and like I said a few weeks ago, there’s plenty of games to play. And we’ll continue working hard.

“We have an important game on Tuesday before the break and we’re going to make sure we get three points on the board.”

Celtic had been leading the table on goals scored but their 1-1 draw at home to Kilmarnock on Saturday left the door open for the Light Blues to take command at the top for the first time since February, 2022.

Ivorian midfielder Mohamed Diomande lit up a dull first half in the 37th minute when he fired in from 25 yards for his first Gers goal since arriving in the winter transfer window.

Tavernier then dispatched penalties after 79 minutes and 87 minutes, both following VAR intervention, taking his tally for the season to 19.

With 12 fixtures remaining, Philippe Clement’s side are two points clear of their Old Firm rivals and will take the momentum of nine straight wins into next week’s game against third-placed Hearts at Ibrox.

Rangers fans travelled in great expectation for the lunchtime kick-off and again they noted that Clement had rung the changes, mostly in attack, with Borna Barisic, Oscar Cortes, Scott Wright, Diomande and Fabio Silva returning.

Craig Levein’s 10th-placed side had Dan Phillips back from injury, with Connor Smith and Ryan McGowan back.

A poor surface was always going to make passing football difficult and the ball spent a lot of time in the air in a scrappy start to the match.

Rangers had 43 attempts on goal in the 3-1 win over Ross County in midweek – 23 on target – but had yet to trouble Saints keeper Dimitar Mitov until Diomande stepped up to break the deadlock.

Another Rangers move looked to have broken down at the edge of the box with McGowan nicking the ball away from Silva.

However, it fell to Diomande and the midfielder, on loan from Danish side Nordsjaelland with the Light Blues having an obligation to buy in the summer and making his first league start, took a touch and drilled it past the diving Mitov.

Dujon Sterling, back from suspension, replaced Gers winger Wright for the start of the second half with Saints striker Benjamin Kimpioka on for David Keltjens, who had been booked in the first half, and the game opened up.

Within seconds of the restart Mitov made a fine save from Silva’s close-range drive from a Diomande cross before Sterling just failed to get enough on a cross from the hard-working Todd Cantwell, who was soon replaced by Tom Lawrence.

Rangers’ narrow lead ensured St Johnstone remained in the game but in the 65th minute Sterling had another chance when he was played in by Silva but took too long to get his shot away and was eventually crowded out.

Three minutes later striker Cyriel Dessers and winger Ross McCausland replaced Silva and Cortes as Clement looked to grab the second goal to give his side some breathing space.

When St Johnstone’s veteran defender Andy Considine fouled Sterling, although he did not point to the spot at first, referee Matt MacDermid was asked to view the pitchside monitor and he awarded the penalty and Tavernier gave Mitov no chance.

Dessers had a one-on-one with Mitov and rounded the keeper but skipper Liam Gordon shepherded the ball to safety.

The Gers substitute then headed a Tavernier cross against the bar and Lawrence’s shot struck the hand of Luke Robinson and after consulting his pitchside monitor again, referee MacDermid again pointed to the spot and this time Tavernier sent it high into the other corner for his 120th Rangers goal.

Midfielder John Lundstram bundled in the opener in the 23rd minute after Hibs keeper David Marshall had saved a penalty from captain James Tavernier.

Hibs attacker Martin Boyle was taken to hospital with an injury following a duel with defender John Souttar and Philippe Clement’s side wobbled at the start of the second half, looking weary after their battling 2-2 draw with Benfica in the Europa League in Lisbon on Thursday night.

However, Hibernian defender Jordan Obita was sent off in the 68th minute for picking up the second of two yellow cards for a foul on Rabbi Matondo before Nathan Moriah-Welsh was shown a straight red by referee Steven McLean three minutes later for a foul on Lundstram.

Portuguese striker Fabio Silva added a second in the 83rd minute to take Rangers into the last-four draw along with Aberdeen and Celtic, with Championship side Morton hosting Hearts on Monday night.

However, there were more injuries for Clement to deal with Dujon Sterling and his replacement Ross McCausland going off during a pulsating game.

Hibs defender Chris Cadden made his first start of the season after his long-term injury absence with midfielder Nectar Triantis also coming in, as injured Lewis Miller and Dylan Vente dropped out.

Despite their European exertions, the visitors were unchanged with Cyriel Dessers and Silva in attack with the former knocking a cross from left-back Ridvan Yilmaz past the near post after 13 minutes of a frenetic beginning.

Moments later, Jack Butland almost got caught dribbling along his six-yard box by attacker Myziane Maolida, the ball coming off the post after a tackle and ricocheting off the keeper for a corner which came to nothing.

Then Dessers robbed hesitant Obita down the left flank and drove into the box but his angled-drive was blocked by Marshall for a corner which was defended.

Obita compounded his error in the 21st minute when he tripped Sterling inside the penalty area leaving referee McLean with little option but to point to the spot.

Tavernier’s driven penalty was parried out by Marshall but Lundstram was quicker than the Hibs defenders to react and forced the ball over the line from a few yards out.

Marshall then saved a powerful drive from Sterling minutes later before the Light Blues utility player pulled up with what looked like a hamstring problem and had to be replaced by McCausland.

Hibs had their own injury concerns soon afterwards when Boyle and Souttar collided in an aerial duel just outside the Rangers penalty area and the winger, after a lengthy stoppage, was taken from the field on a stretcher, his place taken by Elie Youan.

The visitors had to withstand sustained pressure when the game resumed and after Rangers defender Connor Goldson fouled Emiliano Marcondes 30 yards out, the Hibs forward forced a fine diving save from Butland with his curling free-kick.

Then substitute McCausland limped off to be replaced by Matondo, with Kemar Roofe on for Dessers, before the hosts were reduced to 10 men when Obita, already booked for a foul on Tom Lawrence, saw a second yellow for a tackle on Matondo with Moriah-Welsh following him minutes later after scything down Lundstram.

And it was the former Sheffield United midfielder who set up Silva to rifle in Rangers’ second from 14 yards to settle an eventful cup tie and secure a last-four place at Hampden Park.

It could have been more, substitute Cole McKinnon having the ball in the net in added time only to see the offside flag up.

The 30-year-old came off at half-time in the 4-0 Viaplay Cup win over Livingston at Ibrox on Wednesday night.

Roofe has been bedevilled by injuries since signing for the Light Blues from Anderlecht in 2020 and ahead of the visit of Aberdeen in the cinch Premiership on Saturday, Gers boss Michael Beale confirmed the former Leeds forward would miss that game at least.

Beale said: “He is away for a scan so no news on that one at the minute. He didn’t train today with the rest of the team.

“Until we get the news back from the scan, we don’t really know what we are dealing with. It is not an area which has ever been an issue before.

“Obviously it is disappointing for Kemar because he came back into the team and did so well until the other night.

“He said he felt it halfway through the first half and I would like him to hold his hand up. Then he felt he could continue on and at half-time I asked if there was an issue and he said ‘yes’ so then we take no risks with him.

“Let’s hope it is nothing too serious and he will be available in the short term rather than the long term.

“At this moment in time tomorrow is too soon. It is frustrating because he is such a big player and such a very good player.

“It is hard because he has not been available as much as he likes for three managers, not just myself.

“It looked like he was in a really good place, he was contributing well. He just felt a niggle and came out and the right thing is to get the scan and he is for that this afternoon.”

Rangers went into Sunday's game six points adrift of Celtic and Aberdeen, after the two pacesetters played out an entertaining 2-2 draw on Saturday.

But they never looked likely to close that gap as they produced a flat performance at Rugby Park.

They were indebted to goalkeeper Jack Butland as he made a fine save to deny Watkins early on, while Matty Kennedy was just unable to turn an inviting Corrie Ndaba cross home.

Former Rangers shot-stopper Robby McCrorie had a busier second half, pushing a Cyriel Dessers effort away before the Nigerian hit the crossbar from the resulting corner.

Those misses were punished with just three minutes remaining, Watkins outmuscling defender John Souttar from a long ball forward before prodding past Butland.

Data Debrief: Gers fall flat once more

In contrast to the lightning starts Celtic and Aberdeen have made to 2024-25, Rangers have looked laboured in the early weeks of the season and that was the case again on Sunday.

They only mustered three shots on target throughout the 90 minutes, the same amount as their hosts, and they have now been shut out in three of their eight Premiership games this term – only St Johnstone and Ross County (four apiece) have failed to net more often.

In less than two seasons at Tynecastle, the 28-year-old Scotland forward has firmly established himself as a hero in the eyes of supporters by notching 56 goals for the Jambos.

But Shankland knows captaining Hearts to their first silverware in 12 years would elevate his status at the club even further.

“It would be amazing,” he said. “You’re allowed to dream when you’re at this stage.

“The semi-final, one step away from a final, it’s obviously something you’re looking at. But you need to concentrate on the task at hand first and if you can get by that, you can continue to dream.

“All trophies help the status of not just me but the full team. You go down as a team that gets remembered if you can get your hands on a trophy so the boys will have that in their heads and that’s what we’ll look to do.

“It’s a great opportunity for us, it’s one we are all looking forward to and we need to go into it with a real positive outlook.”

Shankland was at Hampden for each of Hearts’ previous two Scottish Cup triumphs in 2006 and 2012.

“I was working at the 2012 final (against Hibernian) with Queen’s Park (where he was a young player) handing out the programmes,” he recalled. “And the one before that, against Gretna, I was at Hearts as a kid and got tickets through the club.

“I met the Gretna owner Brooks Mileson outside the ground and got a photo with him. Good memories, so hopefully we can go back this year and get our hands on the cup.”

Hearts’ last visit to Hampden brought a 3-1 defeat to Rangers in the semi-final of the Viaplay Cup in early November.

However, since that setback, at a time when they were struggling in the league, Steven Naismith’s side have found much improved form over the past six months and motored 11 points clear in third place in the cinch Premiership.

“The last time at Hampden we came away with a bit of regret,” said Shankland. “We felt we didn’t really put our stamp on the game and we let it bypass us, which was really disappointing.

“That was something we can learn from though, so hopefully we can implement what we’ve been working on this time.”

While Hearts go into the semi-final buoyed by back-to-back wins over St Mirren and Livingston, Rangers have won only two of their last eight matches in all competitions and have been heavily criticised as their title bid has unravelled in recent weeks.

“Obviously they’ve been going through a wee sticky spell but we know it’s going to be difficult,” said Shankland. “It’s a Scottish Cup semi-final, it’s away from league duty, so they will get a lift from that.

“If you look too much into their form, you could get caught. Rangers are obviously a good team and have been for the last wee while.

“Of course form maybe drops off a wee bit but it’s just the scrutiny of our league and how high the pressure is for the two teams at the top of the league that adds to it.

“I don’t think we can look at it too much. We’ll analyse Rangers as we know them, and the last time we played them at Ibrox, they gave us a bit of a doing (5-0), so that’s something we’ll need to be wary of.”

Eyebrows were raised when Gers boss Philippe Clement left regular centre-back Connor Goldson on the bench with the 35-year-old Nigeria international Balogun making his first start since a 3-0 win over Livingston at Ibrox on February 3.

After just two wins in eight in all competitions and on the back of a goalless draw against Dundee on Wednesday night, which followed their first ever defeat by Ross County in the cinch Premiership in Dingwall the previous Sunday, the pressure was on the Ibrox side.

However, a Cyriel Dessers double set up an Old Firm final on May 25, the first since 2002.

Balogun, in his second spell at the Ibrox club, said: “I think at this club, it felt like we had a few horrible weeks and it’s been two games only, obviously very important games, but within a week.

“So I think it was very important to bounce back against a team that has put in good performances in every game we have played this season so far.

“They never make it easy for us and certainly didn’t on Sunday.

“But it felt good to be out there and show some resilience and get a good result, 2-0 and a clean sheet. Overall I can be can be happy.

“For me, it was just to make sure to prepare well and to have a good start to the game and do what I’m supposed to do and serve the team.

“I think overall as a team, as a unit, we did really well.”

Balogun revealed Clement has tried to keep the Rangers squad focused on the positives during the recent ropey spell which leaves the Light Blues three points behind cinch Premiership leaders Celtic.

The Light Blues begin their five post-split fixtures next weekend with a trip to St Mirren on Sunday.

He said: “He’s been really good with us because he makes sure that we don’t get too emotional because it’s always very easy to watch those games back and then just feel sorry for yourself, talk yourself down.

“He just reminded us of things that, even though we had bad performances, we still did good.

“He makes sure that he reminds us of what we have to do and repeats that quite heavily as well.

“Then you can see throughout the training sessions how the confidence slowly builds back up.

“I think it’s not a surprise that we had a few difficult spells in the game on Sunday as well.

“But then again, we showed the character that he was able to instil in the team.”

Nedim Bajrami opened the scoring after just 56 seconds at Eleda Stadion, and though Malmo carved out a couple of good opportunities, Rangers delivered a controlled display to get three points on the board.

Anders Christiansen squandered Malmo's best chance to restore parity early in the second half, slicing high from the centre of the area.

His miss summed up Malmo's night in front of goal, as they failed to direct a single shot on target.

Malmo were made to pay for their profligacy when Ross McCausland took it down on the edge of their box and drilled home a fine finish to send the travelling Rangers support into raptures.

Data Debrief: Seven heaven

At the seventh time of asking, Rangers claimed their first win over Swedish opposition in European competition, while Malmo are now winless in 15 games in a major continental tournament, losing 14 of those, including each of the last eight.

Rangers accumulated 2.5 expected goals and created five big chances, and Philippe Clement will be thrilled with how his side controlled much of the encounter despite handing possession over to Malmo.

Bajrami's strike got the ball rolling. It was the first time Rangers scored in the opening minute of a major European match since October 1998, courtesy of Gennaro Gattuso against Beitar Jerusalem in the UEFA Cup.

After drawing 2-2 in the first leg at Ibrox last week, the Light Blues were put to the sword in the Philips Stadion, starting in the 35th minute when Ismael Saibari headed in the opener.

The Moroccan attacker added a second in the 53rd minute and while Gers skipper James Tavernier pulled a goal back in the 64th minute, PSV captain Luuk de Jong soon restored the two-goal lead before a Joey Veerman strike and an own goal by Gers defender Connor Goldson sealed a miserable night for the Light Blues, who drop down to the Europa League.

Beale, who has to turn his attention quickly to the visit of Celtic in the cinch Premiership on Sunday, told brodcasters TNT: “Obviously hugely disappointed with the result tonight.

“I felt over the two legs we’ve struggled to handle De Jong and Saibari, the two forwards in both legs and in key moments in the game, certainly in set plays, we conceded.

“Listen, the buck stops with me. I wasn’t happy with losing the way that we lost tonight.

“There was moments in the game that could have gone for us, I thought in the second half we had some other opportunities didn’t go for us, but it’s obviously bitterly frustrating.

“In two legs against PSV, we scored three goals, the problem’s at the other end of the pitch.

“I have to say they’re a very good team but that doesn’t take away from our disappointment.

“Coming into the September international break, the aim was obviously to get in the Champions League, it was to get into the quarter-finals of the Viaplay Cup and it was to end this first period of league fixtures as high up or in front if we can. That’s still in our hands.

“Today is obviously bitterly disappointing.  We’re out of the Champions League. I think we played against an excellent team and just an apology to our fans who came across. They stuck with the team in both legs and they expect a little bit more than what they got.”

Tavernier insists Rangers have to “move on” quickly, saying: “It is obviously really raw and hard to take.

“We knew how much it meant to the fans and the club and the scoreline is really disappointing.

“But it’s something that we obviously have to move quickly on because we’ve got a really important league game at the weekend.”

The result moved Rangers up to ninth in the new 36-team league standings and just outside the automatic qualification places on goal difference with three games remaining. 

After surviving an early VAR review, which saw three separate incidents looked at, Rangers took the lead in the 35th minute through Vaclav Cerny, with his strike aided by a deflection from Pablo Rosario. 

Rosario was involved again in Rangers' second, allowing Dujon Sterling's searching pass to go over his head, which resulted in Mohamed Diomande stealing in and brilliantly lifting the ball over Marcin Bulka. 

It got even better for Philippe Clement's side in first-half stoppage time when Mohamed Abdelmonem's poor back pass was picked up by Igamane, who finished comfortably after rounding Bulka. 

Nice's defensive woes continued shortly after the break when Rosario saw his pass cut out by Igamane, who powered towards goal and slotting his second of the game into the bottom left corner. 

Badredine Bouanani's stunning free-kick seven minutes from time reduced the deficit, though Rangers should have scored their fifth soon after, only for substitute Cyriel Dessers to fire wide from close range. 

Data Debrief: Igamane shows his worth

Ahead of kick-off, eyebrows were raised when top scorer Dessers was named among the substitutes, but Rangers were able to showcase the plethora of attacking options at their disposal, none more so than Igamane. 

He grabbed two goals and an assist, while also recording more touches in the opposition box (eight) and creating more chances (three) than any of his team-mates. His expected goals (xG) tally of 0.53 was a total only bettered by Dessers (0.74) for Rangers.

Igamane also became the youngest Rangers player (22 years, 26 days) to score two goals in an away major European game since David McPherson netted four against Valletta in Malta back in September 1983, aged 19.

Rangers scored four or more goals in an away major European game for the eighth time, with this the first time they had done so since a 4-2 win at Borussia Dortmund in February 2022.

Midfielder John Lundstram bundled in the opener in the 23rd minute after goalkeeper David Marshall had saved a penalty from captain James Tavernier before Boyle was taken away on a stretcher after landing following a duel with defender John Souttar.

Hibs defender Jordan Obita was sent off in the 68th minute for picking up the second of two yellow cards for using an arm to stop substitute Rabbi Matondo before Nathan Moriah-Welsh was shown a straight red by referee Steven McLean three minutes later for a two-footed challenge on Lundstram.

Striker Fabio Silva added a second as Rangers joined Aberdeen and Celtic in the semi-final draw, with Championship side Morton hosting Hearts on Monday night.

Hibs boss Montgomery gave a positive post-match update on Boyle, saying: “I’ve just had a report that Martin is stable and that’s the most important thing.

“Football is just a game and while Martin’s an important player for us, he’s a human being too.

“I think it’s a bit of concussion and maybe a little bit of neck pain. Fingers crossed he makes a speedy recovery because he was in a bit of pain.”

Montgomery was unimpressed with Lundstram’s reaction to Moriah-Welsh’s tackle.

He said: “I haven’t seen Jordan’s incident to be honest. I know he was on a yellow. He tried to hold Matondo off but apparently he’s caught him on the back of the head with his arm.

“Jordan is an experienced player so, if he has done something that is deemed a yellow card, you don’t want that.

“Nathan is just 21 years old, he’s new to first-team football. And, to be honest, it was right in front of me.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for John Lundstram. He’s a top, top player. But I thought the way he went down, Nathan didn’t catch him.

“I’ve seen that one back and he’s gone across him to try to block him playing a ball down the line, probably knock it out for a throw-in. But John has gone down.

“And the referee was very quick to give the card. To be honest, I was really surprised he didn’t go to the VAR monitor to have a look, considering it was three metres from where the incident happened.”

Rangers boss Philippe Clement called for “reckless” tackles to be taken out of the game as he discussed Moriah-Welsh’s red card.

He said: “If you put a hand or an arm in the face you can get a yellow, that everybody knows.

“The (Moriah-Welsh) tackle was a few yards away from me. It is a reckless tackle with the studs in front and it doesn’t matter then if you break a leg or not.

“It is just reckless. I think it is important to get that kind of tackle out of the game.

“In the last couple of weeks sometimes when we didn’t get the red card and I was not happy about that.

“I think tackles like that are not good for Scottish football, English football, Belgian football, German football. Players need to know if you tackle like that you get a red card.

“It is for nobody good because it is a danger to injure someone if you go in like that.”

The Belgian was frustrated with Dujon Sterling and his replacement Ross McCausland having to come off and both will be assessed ahead of Thursday night’s Europa League last-16 game against Benfica at Ibrox, with the tie balanced at 2-2 following last week’s game in Lisbon.

Ryan Jack, Abdallah Sima, Oscar Cortes, Kieran Dowell and Danilo are also carrying injuries.

Clement said: “I am not happy, of course, that Dujon and Ross had to come off. It is not a good thing.

“We are going to see in the next couple of days if they are going to be available for Thursday or not.”

With the Hoops 13 points clear at the top of the cinch Premiership and unbeaten in the four meetings between the teams so far this season, the Belgian midfielder is desperate for Gers to finally enjoy an Old Firm derby victory and keep alive their last remaining hopes of silverware.

“It’s very important for two reasons,” he told Sky Sports. “We need to win something for the season and it is our last chance. And also we want to win against them.

“We’ve now lost two games (against Celtic) since I came. I think the last game was close. We are not too far from them. I’m sure we can do something in the semi-final, I’m sure if we play our best we can do something good. We have to go there with a strong mentality and go for it.”

Raskin has already experienced facing Celtic at Hampden, with his first Glasgow derby bringing a 2-1 defeat against Ange Postecoglou’s side in the Viaplay Cup final in February. The 22-year-old would love to be on the other side of the result this weekend.

“The atmosphere was great, the half-and-half stadium was great, now we want to make our fans proud,” he said.

“The last time we lost this game and it was painful to see them enjoying it with their fans and see our fans sad. We will go for it.

“I am waiting to play in the Old Firm game at our stadium, I have played there (at Celtic Park) and Hampden.

“You can feel the atmosphere, it is great. When you have 60,000 that are so passionate you can feel it, it is something you don’t see in every country.

“You need to see it and feel it to understand what it is.”

Raskin joined Rangers from Standard Liege in January and he explained that one of the main things he has had to adapt to is facing opponents who sit deep when they go up against his team.

“I’ve learned that the standards at Rangers need to be high every day in training,” he said. “For every aspect – nutrition, training or sleep – you need to put your standards higher. I’m trying to do this and improve myself.

“I wouldn’t say the pace of the game is faster in Scotland than I imagined but it is different. It is a different type of game.

“Here you can face teams that just go down (deep) and then counter so you need to adapt the way you play.

“It’s good for me because I am learning to play against a low block and how to create chances against a team playing a low block.

“It’s never easy for a team to play against a low-block team that defend well. It’s good for me to see every type of team.”

Interim boss Steven Davis guided the Ibrox side to a 3-0 win at St Mirren on Sunday as they went into the international break seven points behind cinch Premiership leaders Celtic.

The former Gers midfielder, who was continuing his rehab from a knee injury at the Govan club after his contract expired in the summer, took over last weekend after Michael Beale departed following the 3-1 home defeat to Aberdeen.

Davis’ first game in charge was an embarrassing 2-1 Europa League defeat by Aris Limassol in Cyprus on Thursday night  – Rangers had already lost their Champions League play-off to PSV Eindhoven – and in Paisley some Rangers fans unveiled banners early in the game which read ‘heartless, passionless, leaderless; not fit to wear our colours’.

A double from skipper James Tavernier, the first from the spot in the 29th minute after Saints’ Ryan Strain was sent off for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity, and an Abdallah Sima strike in between gave the Gers much needed respite.

Noting that players such as Todd Cantwell, Danilo, Rabbi Matondo, Kieran Dowell and Tom Lawrence are working their way back to fitness, Raskin, who along with striker Kemar Roofe has only recently returned to action following a knock, was positive when asked if the Light Blues were good enough to win the title.

The 22-year-old midfielder said: “Are we good enough? Of course we’re good enough.

“We’ve got like six or seven players out injured, so it’s been a hard time.

“But now people are going to come back soon hopefully. We have to look forward and work hard. We’re still early in the season and we have to do our job on the park.

“We all know that we’re coming from a hard time. The last two games before Sunday were difficult for the team.

“We’ve got a lot of injuries too so it was important to turn this situation around before the international break.

“I think we played well. We tried to play as a team, to go forward and make some runs in behind St Mirren.

“Now we just have to work well and build on Sunday’s performance over the next few games because we have some important fixtures coming up.

“We have to stick together and work hard as that’s the only way to go forward and to achieve something good.”

Asked about the banner, and if the Rangers players were up for the fight, Raskin, signed from Standard Liege in January, said: “I don’t think it was down to a lack of effort.

“In football sometimes you try to do things, but sometimes it just doesn’t work for this or that reason.

“We haven’t got to the level we want to be at as a team, but we’ve also had some moments go against us.

“We have to look forward, focus on the next game and try to find the confidence by working hard together.

“Then it’s about going game after game, trying to give our best. Then it will come. I’m sure it will come because we have quality.”

Raskin was signed by Beale and described his departure last weekend as a “bit sad for everybody”.

Former Genk, Club Brugge and Monaco boss Philippe Clement has been linked with the manager’s job at Ibrox, with an appointment set to be made during the international break.

Raskin said: “I don’t know him personally, but he did very well with the two teams he had in Belgium.

“And he also did incredibly well at Monaco.

“I think he’d bring some clarity and an attacking style, so I think he’d be good.”

With COVID-19 cases rising across the United Kingdom, Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the new restrictions on Tuesday.

The rules, which will be in place from Boxing Day, limit the amount of people allowed to attend public events.

Outdoor events have a capacity of 500, with each spectator having to have at least one metre of space between them.

The regulations will be in place for at least three weeks.

This effectively signals a return to behind-closed-doors games in Scotland, though the country's competitions do take a winter break after January 3.

Celtic host champions and Premiership leaders Rangers a week after the regulations come into effect, while Hearts and Hibernian face off in the Edinburgh derby a day later.

On Monday, Premier League clubs confirmed they would not postpone a round of fixtures set to be played on December 28, 29 and 30 in England.

The result left Rangers just outside the top eight in the Europa League table, while Olympiacos are one place further back, having picked up seven points from their four games. 

Dessers, however, squandered a golden opportunity in the 11th minute after being sent through on goal, but could only fire his effort at the legs of Konstantinos Tzolakis. 

Tzolakis was again on hand to deny the Rangers striker six minutes later, producing a stunning save to tip his effort wide as the Scottish side ended the half in the ascendency. 

But their good work was undone shortly after the restart when Chiquinho's smart backwards header found Ayoub El Kaabi, who swivelled and rifled the ball into the roof of the net. 

However, Rangers responded eight minutes later, with Dessers finally getting the better of Tzolakis. The Nigerian skipped beyond the challenge of Panagiotis Retsos before curling the ball home. 

Both sides pushed to try and find the winning goal in the closing stages, but the spoils were shared at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki. 

Data Debrief: Oh I do love playing away

Rangers can leave Greece happy with a point, though could have returned to Ibrox with all three after a strong showing against Olympiacos. 

They ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.13 compared to their opponents' 0.68, despite having three less shots throughout the contest. 

But their impressive form away from home in Europe continued. They are now unbeaten in their last five away matches in the Europa League (W2 D3), equalling their longest such run in the competition’s history (also five unbeaten between October 2020 – March 2021).

Dessers also impressed for Philippe Clement's side. He has been directly involved in 10 goals across 13 away appearances in major European competitions (eight goals, two assists). 

The 20-year-old Colombian winger, on loan from French side Lens with an option for the Rangers to buy, had a couple of efforts on goal before he set up Borna Barisic’s low drive, which deflected in off Somerset Park midfielder Roy Syla after only 10 minutes.

However, Cortes departed after an hour with the Govan side struggling to see off the Championship side, managed by former Celtic captain Scott Brown, before on-loan Wolves striker Fabio Silva added a second in the 76th minute.

It was far from Rangers’ best performance of the season, but Gers boss Philippe Clement, who has already won the Viaplay Cup while hauling his side back into the cinch Premiership title race, will look forward to the next round.

Clement took the opportunity against the lower league side to make seven changes to his side.

Mohamed Diomande, the Ivorian midfielder signed from Nordsaelland, and Cortes were both handed their first starts with Barisic, Scott Wright, Ryan Jack, Nicolas Raskin and Silva also coming into the Rangers starting XI.

The visitors were backed by a good travelling support, who watched Cortes clip the outside of the post with a curling 20-yard drive in the second minute and had another effort saved by United goalkeeper Robbie Mutch.

Cortes was at the heart of much of Rangers’ early work and when he cut the ball back for Barisic, the left-back’s drive from 14 yards took a nick off former Albania Under-21 international midfielder Syla and wrong-footed Mutch.

Rangers dominated but after Connor Goldson lost possession, fellow Gers defender John Souttar’s saving challenge on Anton Dowds denied the Ayr attacker a shot on goal in the consequent break.

The visitors began to edge forward with growing belief, but just before the half-hour mark, Silva should have done better with a Barisic cross than heading wide from eight yards.

The lively Cortes screwed a shot just wide of the far post and a Barisic volley from a swirling Wright cross came off United’s George Stanger and keeper Mutch had to react quickly to save.

The Honest Men’s Ben Dempsey missed the target early on with an effort which should have at least been on target.

Portuguese striker Silva, booked in the first half for a foul on Nick McAllister, was perhaps lucky to escape further punishment when he appeared to leave his foot in on a tackle on Stanger and eyes went on referee Willie Collum.

Clement had on Friday backed Collum, despite Rangers reportedly asking the Scottish Football Association not to appoint the official to any of their games going forward after his part as the VAR officials in a contentious non-penalty decision which went against the Light Blues in their Old Firm derby defeat at the end of the year.

Collum took no action against Silva and United boss Brown vented at fourth official Craig Napier, and he soon saw yellow himself to the cheers of the home fans.

Clement brought on Todd Cantwell, Ridvan Yilmaz and Rabbi Matondo for Diomande, Barisic and Cortes just after the hour mark.

However, Silva ended any hopes of a shock when he fired in from 12 yards after Cantwell’s chip rebounded off the post, with VAR confirming the ball had not come off the arm of Matondo before it hit woodwork.

The 22-year-old Senegal attacker has scored 15 goals since arriving on loan from Brighton in the summer.

The Senegal FA confirmed Sima would return to Rangers after he picked up the injury in training and a statement warned he could face a “long period of unavailability” after failing to get any minutes in the tournament in the Ivory Coast.

The issue of injuries has peppered Clement’s time at Ibrox since the Belgian took over from Michael Beale in October and again a key player looks to be sidelined for a  period of time.

Clement watched Rangers win through to the last 16 of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup with a 4-1 win over Dumbarton in wet and wild conditions

Goals from John Lundstram, Cyriel Dessers, skipper James Tavernier – from the penalty spot – and substitute Scott Wright proved too much for Stevie Farrell’s men, who scored a consolation through Matthew Sheils.

Asked about Sima’s situation, Clement said: “It is always dangerous to hear those things when they happen when you are not there.

“I always like to hear what my medical staff think about things so Abdallah is going to come back as fast as possible.

“I was in contact with him yesterday.

“He is going to come back as fast possible to make a good assessment and to see how long he will be out.”

The Gers boss was pleased that his side “did what I asked, to be professional” against League Two opposition.

Lundstram is one of five first-team players out of contract at the end of the season but Clement has not given up on the prospect of the former Sheffield United midfielder staying at Ibrox.

He said: “It is a financial thing between him and the club.

“Both parties show interest to do that, that’s clear, so we are going to see in the next couple of weeks and months.

“He is in a situation where he can sign somewhere else but it is clear that he feels good at the club and everybody tells me he is showing a better level than he did at the beginning of this season, so I want to see him continue like that then I think there will be a solution between the two parties.”

Sons boss Farrell questioned referee Alan Muir’s decision to award Rangers a penalty at 2-0 when Carlo Pignatiello tackled Rabbi Matondo inside the box.

He said: “We have the live feed as most clubs do and I watched it back straight away and it’s not a penalty.

“I said to the fourth official when we scored (3-1) that it would have made it a five or 10 minutes, real intense and difficult for Rangers (had the penalty not been given) but the reality is he gave the penalty, they got it and scored it.

“Ultimately I think we did very well, and gave a good account of ourselves.”

Rangers swept into the last 16 of the Europa League with a 3-2 victory over Real Betis in Seville.

It was the first time a Rangers team had beaten Spanish opposition away from home and Kemar Roofe’s winner achieved what Real Madrid failed to do five days earlier and inflicted a first home defeat of the season on Betis.

Rangers have another huge match on Sunday against Aberdeen at Hampden as they look to take the League Cup back to Ibrox for the first time since 2011.

Clement has been trying to bring his players back down to earth following their Spanish heroics and ensure they are ready to face an Aberdeen team who were buoyed by victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Belgian, who could have Todd Cantwell and Scott Wright back in his squad, said: “There is always excitement if you can play finals and win trophies, it brings something extra. Of course we had an exciting evening on Thursday. I was very pleased about the team writing history, the first time Rangers won in Spain.

“It is an exceptional thing they did, but we need to turn our minds. In my past I have had good and bad experiences that way.

“After a historical evening, if you don’t have the right mindset you can lose it really fast and in a really stupid way. I told the players we won with Brugge in the Champions League in Milan against a really good Milan and all the famous names – Cafu, Maldini, Dida, Nesta, Pirlo, Shevchenko, Inzaghi.

“We won 1-0, it was a great party afterwards. We were like kings of the world. And three days later we lost against the smallest team in Belgium. All the fuss and positivity was gone in a few days.

“So I spoke about that with the team and I saw in their eyes they had already switched. So they are ready for Sunday.

“The past is the past and we need to write a really good future and they can write history again. It’s an amazing thing, they can write history twice in four days – they need to grab that opportunity with both hands.”

Clement will seal his first major trophy in Scotland if he makes it 14 games unbeaten since taking charge.

The former Genk, Club Brugge and Monaco head coach said: “It is not about me. That’s not so important. It is about the club and the players and they deserve to get appreciation.

“Winning trophies brings appreciations from outside and it can change perceptions. I have a read a lot of bad things about these players and this team and they can change all of that in one game.”

Cantwell missed the Europa League win over Betis for personal reasons but is involved in the Hampden preparations.

“Todd trained today so there is a big chance he will be there tomorrow,” Clement said on Saturday afternoon. “Cifu (Jose Cifuentes) will be injured – we are unsure how long for. Scott Wright will be in the selection, he is back. Leon King will be in the selection. He had a car accident last week with his mother.”

Wright is among several midfield options who have been missing in recent games along with Ryan Jack, Nico Raskin and Tom Lawrence.

Cifuentes is suspended for the game anyway. Striker Danilo is also missing with a long-term knee injury.

After heavy rain overnight, there was an initial 9.15am pitch inspection by local referee Craig Fordyce ahead of the scheduled noon kick-off and, following another inspection by match referee Don Robertson at 10.15am, the game was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

The postponement – Dundee’s third at the Scot Foam Stadium at Dens Park this season after matches against Aberdeen and St Johnstone were called off – means Celtic go into the international break with a one-point lead over the Ibrox men at the top of the table.

Gers boss Clement said: “We weren’t warned about it – not Saturday evening, during the night.

“I hear now that people started to work on the pitch at five o’clock in the morning. So, in that way they did their best.

“But we were only told there was an issue because our kitman was at the stadium early, at around 9.15am.

“He warned us about the situation and for me that’s a really strange thing.

“This will be the only pitch in all the leagues in Scotland where a game was postponed.

“That tells me that it has nothing to do with the weather.

“Yes, it rained, but it rained all over Scotland and there were pitches in other lower leagues where they could play football.

“There, the ball was bouncing. But here, the ball was not bouncing. So clearly there is something wrong.

“Also, there were spots on the pitch where they put lots of sand and there was no stability for the players. It is really dangerous for injuries.

“I think it’s a very important thing for the future that a league thinks about how to raise the level of the pitches and put standards on that like they do on other things.

“They have standards with things like lighting, for example, to have a good broadcast of the game and to have a good product.

“Sure, the lights are really important. But even more important is the quality of the pitches, I think.”

The Ibrox club released a statement which backed up their manager’s disgruntlement.

It read: “Rangers, on behalf of our supporters, are extremely disappointed and angered with the late call-off of today’s match with Dundee.

“The first team have prepared as normal for the match, and it was not until this morning that any concerns over the playing surface were raised.

“It is not understood why the home club did not raise those concerns in a more timely manner, given the reoccurring issues they have had with their playing surface at earlier points in the season.

“The Rangers team and thousands of our supporters had already arrived at the stadium by the time a decision was reached.

“This is the only match in the entire UK senior leagues to be postponed this weekend, and given it was to be shown on Sky Sports nationwide, reflects poorly on our game.”

Referee Robertson was left with no option but to postpone the fixture.

“The only consideration for me was the safety of the players,” he said.

“When I inspected the pitch there, it was quite clear that it wasn’t in a playable condition.

“The ball wasn’t bouncing, and there were a couple of areas of concern in front of the dugout and in the top penalty area.

“The ground staff have done a lot of work to be fair to them, but the ball is not bouncing at all in some of those areas, it wasn’t rolling, the conditions underfoot were dangerous for the players.

“So, it’s quite a simple decision after that.”

Dundee managing director John Nelms expressed a different type of disappointment on Sky Sports News, saying: “We are supposed to be one of the most robust leagues in the world. The ball is rolling.

“We have had guys out here since 5am. We have done everything we could do to get this pitch in place. We have two small spots where the ball is not bouncing as we speak. The rest of the pitch is fine.”

Celtic full-back Alistair Johnston handled the ball inside his own penalty area in the first half of the cinch Premiership encounter at Parkhead under pressure from Gers attacker Abdallah Sima.

A goal-kick was awarded by referee Nick Walsh and the check by VAR official Collum for handball came to nothing. It later emerged through Sky Sports, who were broadcasting the match live, that there had also been an offside in the build-up.

It was widely reported that the Ibrox club had made a request to the Scottish Football Association that Collum be excluded from any involvement in any Rangers match moving forward.

Collum will take charge of Rangers for the first time since that controversial match at Celtic Park when they host Ayr in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup last-16 tie at Ibrox on Saturday.

The Gers boss said: “I am happy to be honest because when there is one moment that I thought that the referee is not neutral then I would directly quit my job.

“So I am happy that we can leave the past behind us. For me there was a fault made. It was a clear handball.

“But I am also not without fault. I make faults every day probably so I don’t look at people if they make a mistake that they are dead forever or whatever.

“No, this is a new game, a new situation so it is important not to live in the past and that is in life also important, not to live in the past.

“I don’t want my players to be living in the past few weeks or months or beginning of the season or whatever, it is about the next game and it is about performing there.

“And if we make mistakes, like I am doing and the players are doing, you expect to get new chances to prove you have become better.”

The Belgian boss confirmed he had not been involved in discussions about the Collum request made by the club

“That is something for in the club and we have talked about that,” Clement added.

Asked if he expected to be consulted if a similar situation arose, he said: “That will happen in the future, yes.”

Clement was also pragmatic about the failure to have Dujon Sterling’s red card against Aberdeen in midweek overturned.

The Light Blues unsuccessfully appealed his dismissal by referee Don Robertson for his tackle on Jack MacKenzie in the 2-1 home win.

The former Genk, Club Brugge and Monaco boss said: “You don’t want to lose players but you need to accept the decision. This situation was not so clear.

“We have seen other tackles in other games where it was a yellow card.

“But that’s the thing about football. It is never black and white, there is a grey area and it is a difficult job for a referee in that grey area. I think that is also one of the charms of football.

The Honest Men are managed by former Celtic skipper Scott Brown which drew a joke from Clement.

He said: “I read that he loves Rangers and I love all the people that love Rangers.

“So that can be really good between us on the sidelines.”

Defender Ben Davies and midfielder Ryan Jack return to the squad but midfielder Tom Lawrence will be rested.

Defender Leon Balogun returns next week and will wear a mask to protect a facial injury.