Jose Cifuentes set for full Rangers debut against Livingston

By Sports Desk August 11, 2023

Jose Cifuentes will make his first Rangers start against Livingston at Ibrox on Saturday after a European cameo in midweek.

The 24-year-old Ecuador international signed a four-year contract from Los Angeles FC last week and is the most recent of nine new Michael Beale recruits.

The midfielder was an unused substitute in the shock 1-0 defeat by Kilmarnock in the cinch Premiership opener at Rugby Park last weekend but came on for Ryan Jack in the 77th minute of the 2-1 Champions League third qualifying round first-leg win over Servette at Ibrox on Wednesday night.

The Gers boss has seen enough to give Cifuentes a start against the Lions.

He said: “He is playing tomorrow.

“He is a prime example, he didn’t get in until late on the previous Thursday, a bit of jet lag but I wanted him to be on the bench just to see Scottish football.

“There’s eight substitutes, let’s just get him there so he can understand the environment.

“He has just only moved into his new place the last couple of days so he is in and out of a hotel.

“I thought he was quite good when he came on the other night in a small glimpse but now I think he is ready.

“He has been playing since January. He knows his team-mates, there is ever such a small language barrier because he speaks decent enough English and he is ready to go now and I am looking forward to watching him tomorrow.”

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    After a 0-0 draw, Minnesota came away with a 5-4 shootout victory to take the edge in the best-of-three series, meaning a win at home on Saturday would get them into the next round.

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    "I would like to think that probably, without that, the players wouldn't have had the level of conviction they largely showed," Ramsay said.

    "It was a bit of fun. There was a real sense of us being intentional behind that.

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    "I don't think there were big chances given up either way.

    "I sort of felt like as we opened up, we started to leak a little bit more space that wasn't there in the opening stages.

    "[Goalkeeper] Dayne [St. Clair] was called into action a couple more times, and so was [Salt Lake goalkeeper] Zac MacMath. So I think it was a very even game, and given that we're coming here as the away team under challenging conditions, that's hats off to us.

    “It felt like if we if we won, it would have justified the work. If we lost, there wouldn't have been anything we could have done differently.

    "We were very solid, very disciplined, and that's one goal allowed in six games, which is very difficult to achieve at this level.

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    Minnesota United - Dawyne St. Clair

    St. Clair made six saves in Game 1, and has been in fine form as of late.

    United has allowed only one goal in their last six matches going back to the end of the regular season, going unbeaten in that time (W4 D2). This is the first time in club history that the Loons have allowed just one goal in a span of six matches in all competitions.

    Real Salt Lake - Cristian Arango

    Arango attempted five shots in Game 1, the most shots attempted by a Salt Lake player in a postseason match since Damir Kreilach had six attempts against Sporting Kansas City in the 2018 playoffs.

    MATCH PREDICTION: MINNESOTA WIN

    Salt Lake have managed just four wins in 21 all-time away playoff matches (D7 L10) including going winless in four straight (D2 L2). RSL lost on penalties in each of the last two away matches that ended in draws (2022 at Austin FC, 2023 against the Houston Dynamo).

    After Tuesday's win on spot-kicks, Minnesota have been involved in seven penalty shootouts in all competitions since joining MLS in 2017, winning six of them, including the last four in a row.

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    Including playoffs, the only matchup that has been drawn six straight times in MLS play is between the Chicago Fire and the New York Revolution, who played in six straight draws from 2021 to 2024.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    Minnesota United - 44.5%

    Real Salt Lake - 28.6%

    Draw - 26.9%

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    Al-Nassr found themselves in front inside two minutes when Otavio's clipped ball found Talisca, who took a touch before firing the ball beyond Yassine Bounou. 

    The first half saw clear-cut chances hard to come by, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Talisca and Mohamed Simakan seeing their efforts unable to trouble visiting goalkeeper Bounou. 

    Al-Hilal, who had scored 23 goals in their first eight games, came closest to an equaliser after the break when Salem Al Dawsari struck the woodwork. 

    But the leveller came in the 77th minute when a free-flowing move ended with Milinkovic-Savic heading the ball in off the post after being picked out by Renan Lodi's cross. 

    Both sides looked to find a winner in the closing stages, with Ali Lajami coming the closest for Al-Nassr, but the points were shared at the Al Awal Park at King Saud University. 

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    The Portugal captain registered a team-high 0.37 expected goals (xG) to Al-Nassr's 0.9 total, while also having the joint-most touches in the opposition box (five - level with Otavio). 

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