Philippe Clement was facing the possibility of more injury woes after Connor Goldson pulled up in Rangers’ 2-0 win over Motherwell at Fir Park.

The boss was without Nico Raskin, Tom Lawrence, Ryan Jack, Borna Barisic, Ben Davies, John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe, Jose Cifuentes and Danilo for the trip to Lanarkshire.

Early goals from Kieran Dowell and Todd Cantwell took the Light Blues to within two points of cinch Premiership leaders Celtic, with a game in hand, but veteran defender Goldson was replaced by John Souttar in the 86th minute and ahead of the home game against Ross County on Wednesday before taking on Celtic at Parkhead on December 30.

Clement admitted he was a “little bit fed up” talking about injuries but on Goldson he said: “We will see tomorrow. He felt something at the end of the game but we will see tomorrow.

“We take it day by day what the situation is and what the fitness of the players is. It’s difficult to plan in advance so I’m living from day to day.

“For me, the most pleasing thing is that despite having nine injured players, the structure stays, with two players in midfield who are not used to playing there.

“You don’t see the difference. The team is really focused and concentrated to do the job together. Everybody knows what we are doing, we keep clean sheets and we keep winning games by being dominant.

“In the circumstances of today, we played a really good first half with good attacking football, two good goals, several good chances.

“In the second half, the wind was even harder and the difficulty was that it was really turning in the stadium. It was difficult to play the good quality that we want to bring.

“As long as there is a two-goal difference then the other team always feels it is in a game, and they fought and put a lot of balls in the box.

“We were really concentrated and good in the duels. I don’t think they had one shot on goal from the Motherwell side. We controlled the game well and we got three deserved points.”

Motherwell have now gone 15 games without a win and remain five points ahead of bottom side Livingston.

Boss Stuart Kettlewell believes his side should have had a penalty when Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers pulled Mika Biereth inside the box.

He said: “The two penalties, the one with Brodie Spencer (tackle by Ridvan Yilmaz) may have been a soft one.

“I think there is marginal contact so I am not so sure about that.

“The one that was brought to my attention was the pull on Mika Biereth’s arm at the back post. He looks favourite to get a touch on the ball.

“It is 2-0 and one goal helps us. Watching it back, I am seeing them given as penalties constantly. I think Rangers themselves have benefited from a number of things, incidents like that. my question is, are actually checking them.

“We keep getting told that they are being checked.

“I am not sure if that specific one has been checked. I would defy anyone to tell me if it has been checked then we are OK with it because I am watching every week and slight pulls on jerseys, a slight tug of the arm, results in a penalty.

“I will probably be told that there is some other obscure rule that is the reason why it wasn’t given but with the naked eye and a replay it looks as if it has to be a penalty.”

Rangers beat Motherwell 2-0 at a wet and wild Fir Park and return to chasing the heels of cinch Premiership leaders Celtic.

Kieran Dowell started and finished the move for the opening goal in the fourth minute before fellow midfielder Todd Cantwell fired in a second after 16 minutes of a first half which should have brought more goals, but in a wind-affected encounter the early brace proved enough.

The Light Blues moved back to being two points behind their Old Firm rivals with a game in hand and now turn their focus to Ross County on Wednesday night, with the crucial encounter at Celtic Park on December 30 now looming large.

Philippe Clement has gone 16 games unbeaten since taking over from Michael Beale in October but, by contrast, the Steelmen have gone 15 games without a win and they remain five points ahead of second bottom Livingston.

Boss Stuart Kettlewell must wonder how and when they are going to turn it around as he prepares for the trip to Aberdeen in midweek.

An increasing injury list amid a hectic fixture schedule saw Clement make four changes, with Leon Balogun, Cantwell, Dujon Sterling and Cyriel Dessers returning with the home side unchanged.

It was a nightmare start for Kettlewell’s side who soon found themselves a goal down.

Dowell robbed Harry Paton at the edge of the Motherwell penalty area and played a one-two with Dessers before blasting the ball high past Well keeper Liam Kelly for his second goal for the Light Blues since signing in the summer from Norwich.

Well wobbled further when asked to defend.

Balogun headed a Ross McCausland cross over the bar from close range before Kelly made a save from a Connor Goldson header.

However, the second goal was on its way, arriving when left-back Ridvan Yilmaz’s cross into the box was controlled by Abdallah Sima with Cantwell running in to sweep the ball low past the diving Kelly.

A speculative drive from Callum Slattery which skipped past the Rangers goal was their only real response.

Dessers and Goldson both failed to finish from just yards out and Kelly saved a low drive from Dessers as Rangers sporadically threatened.

In the 35th minute, with the rain still cascading amid swirling wind, Dessers swung and missed the ball after Kelly had parried an angled-shot from McCausland.

Motherwell stuck to their considerable task but they could not get through to Gers keeper Jack Butland and it was Kelly who was called into action again just before the break, tipping a Cantwell drive over the bar, but the home side eventually emerged unscathed.

Motherwell, with Paul McGinn on for centre-back Bevis Mugabi, caused some problems for the Govan side at the start of the second half and Brodie Spencer headed wide from a Mika Biereth cross when he ought to have hit the target.

There was a Motherwell penalty shout in the 75th minute when Yilmaz bumped Spencer to the ground inside the Gers box but referee David Dickinson was unmoved and the Rangers escaped a melee in their penalty area moments later.

The home side’s fightback fizzled out.

Dessers had the ball in the Well net in the 82nd minute and again in stoppage time but was twice ruled offside, and there was also a VAR check for a possible penalty for handball in the Rangers box that came to nothing.

St Johnstone have reported “appalling” racist abuse directed towards forward Diallang Jaiyesimi following his red card against Rangers.

A message was highlighted on the X – formerly known as Twitter – social media platform from an account which has now been deleted.

Jaiyesimi was sent off for a challenge on John Lundstram during St Johnstone’s 2-0 cinch Premiership defeat at Ibrox on Wednesday night.

A St Johnstone statement read: “We are aware of a racist tweet circulating online that was aimed at Diallang Jaiyesimi tonight after his red card against Rangers.

“We firmly stand with DJ in this matter and are appalled that this unacceptable behaviour still exists in 2023.

“We will pass this onto Police Scotland to investigate.

“Say no to racism.”

Raging Rangers boss Philippe Clement claimed John Lundstram was “kicked off the pitch” in the 2-0 cinch Premiership win over St Johnstone at Ibrox.

The Belgian watched luckless striker Kemar Roofe go off after just 16 minutes with another injury but replacement Cyriel Dessers fired the Light Blues ahead in the 28th minute before Diallang Jaiyesimi was soon sent off for a hefty challenge on Lundstram after a VAR intervention saw referee Alan Muir upgrade a yellow to a red with the Rangers midfielder kept in at the break.

Rangers doubled their lead in the 84th minute with a penalty from skipper James Tavernier to go within two points of leaders Celtic with a game in hand.

But Clement was unhappy with the tackle on Lundstram who is a doubt for the fixtures before the January break, including the Old Firm game at Parkhead on December 30, while Roofe will also be “assessed” on Thursday.

Clement said: “It’s another player who is kicked off the pitch, so I am really frustrated with that. It’s his ankle so we will see in the next couple of days what will happen.

“This for me is my main concern after the game – again a player kicked off the pitch. I’m not sure we can get him back before the winter break so that’s not a good situation.

“I don’t want to go in on emotions after the game, I am a little boiling so it’s better to cool down and make opinions about leagues or whatever.

“But it clearly wasn’t a good challenge with your studs forward like that. We had an even worse one later in the game when the guy luckily hit the ball and not my player (Dan Phillips on Kieran Dowell), the intensity there was to break a leg.

“Those things are not good for football.”

Asked why he took off Tavernier in the closing stages, Clement said: “It was more to see I don’t lose any more important players for the next couple of weeks and not to take risks that another one was kicked off.”

On the game, Clement said: “We did a lot of things well. We had control of the game from the start until the end. It is not easy to play against 10 men when they are so deep, with no space.

“We kept our organisation, my defenders stayed focused. We could have had more goals, a few good saves also.

“We were waiting for that second goal, it came late. But we kept on pushing to get the goal and we had enough chances to do that.”

St Johnstone boss Craig Levein had no complaints about the red card.

He said: “I thought it was a red card. I thought the referee was right. In the modern day that’s a red – certainly if it had happened to one of our players I’d be calling for a red card so I am not going to sit here and say anything different.

“He has gone in with force and hasn’t got the ball. It is a red card.”

On the Dan Phillips challenge, however, he said: “I thought that was a good tackle.”

Rangers moved to within two points of cinch Premiership leaders Celtic with a comfortable 2-0 win over 10-man St Johnstone at Ibrox.

Philippe Clement, who had picked up his first trophy as Rangers boss on Sunday after the 1-0 Viaplay Cup final win over Aberdeen at Hampden Park, watched helplessly as luckless striker Kemar Roofe went off after just 16 minutes with another injury.

However, replacement Cyriel Dessers fired the Light Blues ahead in the 28th minute before Saints forward Diallang Jaiyesimi was almost immediately sent off for a hefty challenge on midfielder John Lundstram following a VAR intervention.

The dominant Light Blues doubled their lead in the 84th minute with a penalty from skipper James Tavernier, who had scored the winner at Hampden, and Rangers moved tantalisingly closer to the Hoops with a game in hand.

As expected Clement shuffled his pack again.

Kieran Dowell made just his third start of the season in midfield as John Souttar, Ridvan Yilmaz, Sam Lammers and Roofe made up the five changes from the starting line-up at Hampden while Saints boss Craig Levein brought back Andy Considine, Oludare Olufunwa and Sven Sprangler.

After barely a minute of a strangely low-key start to the match, Souttar required a lengthy spell of treatment for a facial injury after clashing with Max Kucheriavyi but there was more distressing injury news soon on its way for the home side.

Roofe, making his first start since October 8, had a couple of attempts on goal before he had to go off and the striker looked distraught, with Dessers taking over.

Rangers had the bulk of possession with the game played in the Perth side’s half but the Saints defence looked organised and disciplined until Olufunwa missed a cross from Tavernier which allowed Dessers to knock the ball past goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov and a VAR check confirmed there was no offside.

Almost straight from kick-off Jaiyesimi crunched Lundstram and VAR checked for serious foul play after referee Alan Muir gave the Englishman, on loan from Charlton, a yellow card.

The official checked the pitchside monitor and upgraded the yellow to a red, with Chris Kane soon coming on for Sprangler as Levein reshuffled.

Mitov saved a decent drive from Dessers in the 36th minute and Tavernier fired wide of the far post in added time but there was no sustained pressure on the Saints goal.

Lundstram stayed inside at the interval – where Santa got cheered from the Light Blues fans when he came out with the Viaplay Cup – with Dujon Sterling taking over and within minutes Rangers attacker Abdallah Sima volleyed a Tavernier corner just past the post before Mitov made a series of fine saves from Lammers, twice, and Dessers.

Sima missed the target with another effort in the 66th minute before being replaced by Scott Wright with Todd Cantwell on for Lammers.

There were further efforts from Cantwell and Tavernier before Mitov clearly brought down Dessers inside the box with the Rangers captain slamming the spot-kick low into the corner.

Todd Cantwell has welcomed the dramatic change of fortunes in recent months that has left resurgent Rangers riding a wave of positivity under Philippe Clement.

The Gers landed the first piece of silverware on Sunday by defeating Aberdeen 1-0 in the Viaplay Cup final, while their cinch Premiership hopes also received a major boost at the weekend as title rivals Celtic suffered a second league defeat in a row at home to Hearts.

The turnaround has coincided with the arrival of manager Clement two months ago following the sacking of Michael Beale in the aftermath of a 3-1 defeat at home to the Dons. The Belgian has overseen a 14-game unbeaten run, including 12 victories.

“In football things change so quickly, in a good way or a bad way,” said midfielder Cantwell. “We’re on a bit of a wave at the moment and we’re enjoying it.

“We’re unbeaten so far and you gain a real big belief from that, and winning a trophy won’t harm it.

“The manager’s building a team that wants to fight and win as many trophies as possible and it’s gone really well so far.

“I’m sure he’s aware that it could have gone the other way when he first arrived and we could have been on the end of some defeats but he’s implemented the way he wants to play and it’s working really well.”

The Viaplay Cup triumph marked Cantwell’s first trophy win since he joined Rangers from Norwich in January.

“The plan was to come here and try and get hold of some trophies so it’s a good start to the season,” he said.

“We’re not going to be remembered for our songs, we’re going to be remembered by what we’ve won by the time we left.

“That’s been here nearly a year now and we’ve got one trophy in the bank and hopefully loads more opportunities to come.”

Celtic’s defeat at home to Hearts means Rangers are now just five points behind their city rivals with two games in hand – the first of which is at home to St Johnstone on Wednesday.

With a potentially pivotal derby showdown at Celtic Park looming on 30 December, Cantwell refused to be drawn on any suggestion that the Hoops were opening the door for the Gers to overhaul them in the title race.

“I don’t really see it like that,” he said. “Every game we play is an important game.

“It sounds like a cliche but it will be the end of the season when we determine who has the most points.”

Cantwell was in the wars in a scrappy final at rain-lashed Hampden on Sunday, with Rangers fans particularly annoyed that Dons captain Graeme Shinnie avoided a caution for seemingly striking the midfielder on the back of the head in an aerial challenge.

“I’ve become accustomed to that sort of treatment so far so there’s no complaints on my side,” he said. “It was a very competitive game of football, Aberdeen made it really difficult for us.

“We had to play to the conditions, it was really boggy out there and the tempo wasn’t as quick as we’d have liked but the win is the important thing. It’s a good morale boost for us.”

Connor Goldson heaped praise on James Tavernier after the Rangers captain scored his 115th goal for the club to secure the Viaplay Cup.

The Gers right-back hooked in an impressively-executed strike from a Borna Barisic cross to settle Sunday’s Hampden showdown with Aberdeen in the 76th minute.

Tavernier has made a habit of popping up with huge goals since moving to Rangers from Wigan eight-and-a-half years ago, and fellow defender Goldson feels his colleague has become a colossal influence at Ibrox.

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“This football club won’t appreciate James Tavernier until James Tavernier’s not here,” said Goldson. “For a right-back to do the numbers he does… it’s not one season, it’s year after year after year.

“He started this season slow, I don’t think he scored many at the start but he’s on a hot streak now and long may it continue.

“The main thing about playing for this football club is adding numbers to the board. That board was there long before we were here and will be there a long time after, so to say you’ve had a part in adding numbers on to that is obviously huge.”

Sunday’s victory means long-serving Tavernier has now won each of the three major trophies in his time in Scotland after leading Gers to the Premiership title in 2021 and the Scottish Cup in 2022.

The goal-scorer savoured a perfect ending to a week in which the Ibrox side also sealed top spot in their Europa League group with a 3-2 victory away to Real Betis.

“It’s obviously long overdue but I’m really proud of the team,” Tavernier said of the Viaplay Cup success. “It was probably closer than it was expected to be but we knew if we limited their chances, we would create our own.

“I’m really happy to see this week out by topping the (Europa League) group and getting our hands on the first silverware this season.

“I’m delighted that all of us have managed to get our hands on the first silverware this season. That should give us real good momentum to build on.”

City rivals Celtic have lost their last two matches, allowing Rangers – who previously seemed out of contention – to haul themselves back into the title race.

The Gers are now within five points of the Hoops with two games in hand, the first of which comes at home to St Johnstone on Wednesday.

Tavernier refused to entertain talk of Celtic’s recent dip, preferring to keep the focus on his own team.

“There’s plenty points to play for,” he said. “We’ve just got to concentrate on ourselves and focus on knocking out the wins. It gets decided in May.

“We’ll try our hardest and see where it takes us. We’ve always got determination, no matter what. We play for a club that’s rich in history with trophies and we want to bring success to the club and our fans.”

James Tavernier was the Rangers hero as the Light Blues picked up their first trophy of the Philippe Clement era with a 1-0 Viaplay Cup final win over Aberdeen.

The prolific Ibrox skipper rifled in the winner in the 75th minute of a hard-fought encounter at Hampden Park to hand his Belgian boss his first trophy after just a few months at Ibrox.

The victory completed the clean sweep of domestic trophy wins for the full-back and it also meant Clement remains unbeaten in 14 games since taking over from Michael Beale in October.

It was the 28th time the Ibrox club have won the trophy – the first since 2011 – and they still have interest in the title and Europa League this season, with the Scottish Cup yet to start, so Gers fans will be hoping more success is on its way.

Both sides went into the game on a wet and windy Glasgow afternoon in fine fettle.

Rangers’ stunning 3-2 win away to Real Betis on Thursday night took them into the last 16 of the Europa League. Although the Dons were already out of the Europa Conference League, their 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt was more than commendable.

There was a further boost with the return of forward Bojan Miovski from a hamstring issue while skipper Graeme Shinnie, Leighton Clarkson, Jamie McGrath, Nicky Devlin, Richard Jensen and Jonny Hayes also returned.

Leon Balogun, Todd Cantwell and Dujon Sterling were back for Rangers, who had not beaten their opponents in two games this season.

However, both sides were below par in the first half.

On the half-hour mark Gers attacker Abdallah Sima took a pass from Cantwell inside the Aberdeen box but his low drive on the turn, no more than decent, was saved by Dons keeper Kelle Roos.

Rangers winger Ross McCausland had the ball in the Aberdeen net in the 39th minute but referee Don Robertson had blown for an infringement inside the Dons box.

The first half ended with Aberdeen’s Stefan Gartenmann heading Clarkson’s free-kick wide from 14 yards before McCausland missed the target with a header from a Cantwell delivery.

More was expected after the interval.

Dons attacker Ester Sokler failed to get a touch on an inviting Devlin cross from just a few yards out and at the other end, Roos blocked a shot from McCausland who was on the stretch but the corner came to nothing.

Roos then made crucial saves from a Cyriel Dessers strike and free-kicks from Tavernier and left-back Borna Barisic before Balogun flashed the ball over the bar from a Cantwell cutback.

There was a Rangers penalty appeal when a shot from substitute Scott Wright, on for McCausland, hit the top of Gartenmann’s arm but play moved on – and soon the Light Blues were ahead.

Barisic made it to the byline and his deep cross from the left landed at Tavernier, who took a touch and fired it in off the ground past Roos to send the blue section of Hampden into raptures.

Aberdeen battled back and there were some nervy moments in the Gers defence. Close to the end of six added minutes, there was a goalmouth melee in the Rangers box involving several players  following a corner – a VAR check for a possible red card offence came to nothing, although it was not clear who was at risk.

The final whistle soon followed, as did Light Blue celebrations.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement backed his side to have an “amazing season” if they show the same togetherness that helped them to a 3-2 win over Real Betis in Seville.

Kemar Roofe’s 78th-minute winner sent an under-strength Rangers into the last 16 of the Europa League.

The Light Blues twice took the lead in the first half through Abdallah Sima and Cyriel Dessers but they were heading for the Conference League knockout stages before Roofe’s late goal inflicted a first home defeat of the season on Real Betis.

Clement told Rangers TV: “It’s an amazing evening. I am really proud of the boys, they way they stuck together, the way they were brave. The things I asked – to be brave, to go with our football, create chances, score good goals, and a real top team mentality.

“That’s what we need to build on over the next couple of months.  If they stick together like this every three days, you always have an amazing season.”

It was Rangers’ first away victory against Spanish opposition.

Clement said: “This is a big reference and statement also, for them and the outside, that if everyone is into the story and working hard, we are a really hard team to beat, even for top-class teams like Betis, who are in really good form and played a really good game against Real Madrid last week and could have won.

“It was the first loss in their home stadium this season. And it was also a game we had to win, a lot of pressure and the players dealt really well with it.”

The Belgian remains unbeaten in 13 games as Rangers manager and can lift his first piece of silverware in Scotland when his side take on Aberdeen in the Viaplay Cup final this weekend.

“It was a really important evening and a moment to enjoy but not for too long,” he said. “We have a really big game on Sunday.

“I am also happy for all the fans who were here because the support was incredible, during the game, after the game. So I hope they put Hampden Park on fire, but not on fire with pyro, just with songs and the noise.”

Kemar Roofe’s late goal earned Rangers a memorable 3-2 win against Real Betis to send the Light Blues into the Europa League knockout stages.

Roofe turned the ball home from close range as Rangers put the pressure on from a 78th-minute corner to clinch top spot in Group C.

The Light Blues inflicted a first home defeat of the season on the Spaniards in Seville as Roofe’s second goal of the season saw them jump above Sparta Prague from third place and send Betis into the Conference League.

Abdallah Sima and Cyriel Dessers had each put Rangers ahead in a thrilling first half but Betis were level before the break and had chances to go ahead only to slip from top spot to third.

Sparta won 3-1 against Aris Limassol to put pressure on Rangers and ultimately go through themselves as the Ibrox side did it the hard way, finishing on 11 points despite dropping five against the Cypriots.

Sima had already seen a half-chance diverted wide before opening the scoring in the 10th minute. James Tavernier and then Ross McCausland drove down the right and Dessers helped the ball on for Sima to fire into the bottom corner from 16 yards.

The lead only lasted four minutes. Juan Miranda had put a dangerous ball across the face of goal moments earlier but McCausland did not heed the warning and failed to track the left-back’s forward run. Miranda burst on to a deft flick from Borja Iglesias and drilled the ball inside the far post.

Rangers survived a torrent of pressure as Betis looked to build on their equaliser. Ben Davies produced a vital block,  Andres Guardado hit the underside of the crossbar and Jack Butland tipped over Hector Bellerin’s strike.

Rangers withstood the pressure and regained the lead in the 20th minute, seconds after taking a throw-in inside their own half. Dessers headed inside for Jose Cifuentes and ran on to the return ball down the left wing.

The Nigeria international went a long way to winning over the Gers fans following a slow start to his Ibrox career when he beat his man and slipped the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs.

This time the lead lasted 17 minutes. Rangers were on the back foot after an attacking move broke down but they had plenty of men back, however Tavernier was slow to spot the danger as Ayoze Perez loitered with intent outside the right-back.

The former Newcastle and Leicester striker curled an inch-perfect first-time shot just inside the far post after being set up by Isco.

Sima and Dessers threatened before the break but Rangers – with Dujon Sterling on for Cifuentes – faced pressure at the start of the second period as Betis twice threatened from set-pieces. Assane Diao headed against the crossbar and Marc Roca miscontrolled the ball inside the six-yard box, allowing Butland to block.

Sam Lammers briefly looked like going clear on goal after dribbling past two players but he seemed to go down easily after being tripped just outside the box and Borna Barisic’s free-kick was blocked.

Rangers had another nervy moment waiting on the VAR verdict when Perez had a goal disallowed for handball after bundling home a rebound.

It was Rangers who struck from similar range moments later.

The Light Blues generally managed the latter stages well until late in stoppage-time when substitute Rabbi Matondo in particular showed naivety in shooting from long range, however Butland scrambled to stop Willian Jose’s header creeping in.

The final whistle soon sounded to continue Rangers’ promising run under recently-appointed manager Philippe Clement, who could now get his hands on his first piece of silverware in Scotland after Sunday’s Viaplay Cup final against Aberdeen.

Rangers suffered another selection blow ahead of two crucial matches after Todd Cantwell was ruled out of the trip to Spain.

The former Norwich midfielder will not feature in the Europa League decider against Real Betis on Thursday because of personal reasons.

Manager Philippe Clement was already missing Ryan Jack, Tom Lawrence and Nico Raskin from his midfield through injury as Rangers chase the win they need to guarantee progress.

Clement experienced other bad news this week. Ecuador midfielder Jose Cifuentes lost his appeal against the red card he received against Dundee on Saturday, which rules him out of Sunday’s Viaplay Cup final against Aberdeen through suspension.

And striker Danilo has been ruled out for several months with the knee injury he suffered in last Wednesday’s win over Hearts.

Clement said: “Todd is not here because of personal circumstances, and he wants to keep it personal, so we respect that. It’s nothing between the club and him, or me and him, it’s just family-wise.

“There’s a really big chance (he will be available for Sunday) but it’s not guaranteed.

“I hoped Ryan would be back but it’s not the case. Danilo will be out for several months, but I don’t want to pinpoint on an exact number of months for now until is all clear.

“I was surprised with the Cifuentes decision. None of the Dundee players reacted at the time. They just continued to attack as it was a duel with a contact. It is disappointing to lose the player for two games. But I don’t have any power in that so we will focus on the guys who are available.”

Clement is also without midfielder Kieran Dowell and defenders Leon Balogun and Ridvan Yilmaz, who are not in the club’s European squad.

“It’s quite a list of players injured and not on the European list. But it’s about the guys who are here,” he said. “They are here with ambition and to prove themselves as a team.

Rangers will go through to the knockout stages regardless of the result in Seville if Sparta Prague fail to beat Aris Limassol in Cyprus. But victory for the Czechs would leave Rangers needing to beat Betis to finish in the top two, a result which would seal top spot in Group C.

The Ibrox club are assured of European football beyond Christmas with third place sealing entry to the Conference League knockout stages.

Betis are unbeaten at home in LaLiga this season and have won both of their Group C games on home territory.

Clement said: “We have a lot of respect for them but we come here with ambition. Rangers have nothing to lose. We are in Europe next year but we want to make the next step. This may be the biggest challenge until now and we go all out for it.

“Real Betis is a different style than what we have faced. Real Madrid didn’t win here which shows how big a test it is but I feel something special in the group. I can see a really good dynamic growing in the dressing room. Everyone stays confident even after going behind.

“I see several players becoming better and better, we need to continue that story against a really good opponent.”

Meanwhile, Alex Rae has been confirmed as first-team coach on an ongoing basis after returning to Ibrox when Steven Davis took caretaker charge and staying on under Clement and assistant Stephan van der Heyden.

The former Gers midfielder told the club’s official website: “Everyone knows how much this club means to me and I am determined to help the gaffer and Stephan bring silverware back to Rangers.

“We are still in four competitions and we have a lot to look forward to this season.”

Rangers midfielder Jose Cifuentes will miss the Viaplay Cup final after losing his appeal against the red card shown to the Ecuadorian during Saturday’s victory over Dundee.

The 24-year-old was initially booked by referee Kevin Clancy after catching Amadou Bakayoko late with his studs after the Dundee forward slid in to win the ball midway through the Gers’ 3-1 win. But he was then sent off following a VAR review.

A fast-track tribunal has upheld Clancy’s final decision and Cifuentes will start a two-match domestic ban when Rangers meet Aberdeen in Sunday’s Hampden clash.

The Ibrox club have also been missing the injured Tom Lawrence, Nico Raskin and Ryan Jack from their midfield in recent games.

The final round of fixtures in the group stages of this season’s European competitions take place this week.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what is at stake for the British clubs involved.

Champions League

It is crunch time for Manchester United and Newcastle in their bids to reach the knockout stages.

Erik ten Hag’s inconsistent side must beat Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich at Old Trafford on Tuesday and hope the clash between Copenhagen and Galatasaray ends in a draw to leapfrog both and progress from Group A.

Defeat would end United’s European campaign without even the consolation of a Europa League place.

Newcastle, third in Group F, need to beat AC Milan at St James’ Park on Wednesday to have any hope of going through but that will not be enough if second-placed Paris St Germain overcome Borussia Dortmund.

Having already qualified as winners of their groups, the pressure is off for Arsenal and Manchester City as they travel to PSV Eindhoven and Red Star Belgrade respectively.

Winless Celtic are condemned to last place in Group E and sign off by hosting a Feyenoord side certain to finish third.

Europa League

Rangers travel to Group C leaders Real Betis with qualification on the line.

Victory would seal it for Philippe Clement’s side but anything less would open the door for Sparta Prague, who face bottom side Aris Limassol.

West Ham and Brighton are already through but top spots in their respective Groups A and B – which mean avoiding a play-off tie against a team dropping out of the Champions League – are still to be determined.

The Hammers’ clash with Freiburg and Brighton’s meeting with Marseille, both at home, are effectively shootouts for first place.

Liverpool are already guaranteed top place in Group E regardless of their result at Belgian league leaders Union Saint-Gilloise.

Europa Conference League

Aston Villa have already secured their place in the knockout stages and will win Group E if they avoid defeat at Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar.

Aberdeen, who are out of contention, end their campaign at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.

There were some big storylines on a rain-soaked weekend of cinch Premiership action.

Celtic’s lead at the top was cut to five points following defeat at Kilmarnock, 24 hours after Rangers beat Dundee 3-1.

St Mirren and Aberdeen also recorded significant wins to get back on track, while Hibernian moved up to fourth in the table.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five things we learned from the weekend’s action.

Brendan Rodgers’ Rugby Park strife continues

Rodgers suffered his first league defeat of his second spell in charge when Killie came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to Matty Kennedy’s late strike. The Celtic manager suffered his first domestic cup defeat in Scotland at the same venue in August. In two spells at Parkhead, Rodgers has now suffered 10 domestic defeats and four of them have come at Rugby Park.

Rangers’ absentee list grows

Ibrox boss Philippe Clement does not have his selection worries to seek ahead of a big week which includes a Europa League decider against Real Betis and the Viaplay Cup final against Aberdeen. Midfielders Nico Raskin, Ryan Jack and Tom Lawrence and striker Danilo missed the victory over Dundee and midfielder Jose Cifuentes will be suspended for the Hampden clash after being sent off for a challenge on Dundee goalscorer Amadou Bakayoko, although Clement is considering an appeal.

Late shows saving Stuart Kettlewell

The Motherwell manager might have been facing serious questions over his future had Mika Biereth not headed a stoppage-time equaliser against St Johnstone. It was a 13th game without a win but the Steelmen were well worth the draw and Kettlewell will surely live to fight another day. It is increasingly clear how important the late goals are though – six of Motherwell’s 15 points have come from 90th-minute goals and a further two points from an 85th-minute goal.

Livingston are in freefall

David Martindale’s side suffered a seventh-consecutive loss when Martin Boyle hit the only goal for Hibernian. The run is a long way short of Livingston’s 13-game losing streak on their way to relegation from the top flight in 2006 but they have now slipped five points adrift. St Johnstone survived the past two seasons after eight and then six-game losing runs and Martindale retains belief his side can similarly bounce back.

VAR’s scope again comes into question

Dundee manager Tony Docherty felt the video assistants should not have advised a penalty review and presented referee Kevin Clancy with only a partial picture of a shirt pull on Rangers striker Abdallah Sima. Docherty said: “The image presented to Kevin Clancy favours the penalty being given but the reality is, there is bustling in the box, Sima has hold of Aaron Donnelly’s shirt and Kevin Clancy deemed that to be OK. It’s difficult because we are re-refereeing games. Kevin Clancy’s positioning is good and it’s not a clear and obvious error. My problem with it is the image he gets shown. If I see that image I’d give a penalty-kick but you need to take it into context.” Rangers took the lead from the spot and have now been awarded eight penalties in their last nine Premiership games, several of them for shirt pulls which have been highlighted by VAR officials.

Philippe Clement claims his Rangers side demonstrated their growing team ethic in coming from behind to beat Dundee 3-1 at Ibrox after playing the second half with 10 men.

Striker Amadou Bakayoko scored after just five minutes but the Light Blues responded with a strike from forward Cyriel Dessers, a penalty from skipper James Tavernier after a VAR intervention, and a header from attacker Abdallah Sima.

Gers midfielder Jose Cifuentes was sent off after another VAR prompt saw a yellow card for a foul on Bakayoko upgraded to red, a decision which will cost him his place in the Viaplay Cup final against Aberdeen next week.

The Belgian was pleased with the way his side dealt with the second half and said: “The team showed that they are a team.

“I see this dressing room growing week by week in that way. That is crucial. I know you need a really strong dressing room where everybody fights for one another, where everybody is available for the team.

“Everyone sees in the last few weeks this team sticking together in every sense. Players coming in, playing out of position and doing a job for the team.

“We played to create in the second half, not just sitting it out. If you look back, we had the best chances in the second half.

“You can also see the physical levels of the players growing. We need to get more players fit and we need to continue to work but if the mentality stays like this then we will take more points.”

On the red card incident, Clement said: “I’ve not seen the images back. Jose told me he lost the ball and wanted to win it back.

“He wanted to block the ball but the other guy is a split second faster and tackles through the ball, there’s contact.

“Jose tries to avoid it, he didn’t go through it, so I want to see things back to have a clear and good opinion so we can make an assessment in the next few days (on a possible appeal).”

Tony Docherty was far from impressed at the way the VAR check worked against his team for the penalty.

The Dundee boss said: “I’m hugely disappointed with the decision to give the penalty kick and VAR’s involvement in it.

“The image presented to Kevin Clancy favours the penalty being given but the reality is there is bustling in the box, Sima has hold of Aaron Donnelly’s shirt and Kevin Clancy deemed that to be OK.

“He then gets shown an image in a real pivotal moment of the game at 1-1.

“You need things to go for you and that one went against us.

“I’m really disappointed because we started the game really well, everything I was looking for.

“Lyall Cameron almost scores and then we score from the corner so a good start.

“Rangers come back into it with an unforced error by us then such a big decision goes against us.

“I had a conversation with Kevin Clancy and I thought he had a really good game.

“It’s difficult because we are re-refereeing games. Kevin Clancy’s positioning is good and it’s not a clear and obvious error.

“My problem with it is the image he gets shown. If I see that image I’d give a penalty kick but you need to take it into context.”