Dundee went down to a 3-1 defeat against Rangers at Ibrox this afternoon. Amadou Bakayoko gave the travelling support hope with an early goal, but Rangers fought back strongly to score three goals before half time. Cyriel Dessers equalised and a few minutes later Tavernier put Rangers ahead from the penalty spot following a VAR review. Abdallah Sima made it three, before Jose Cifuentes was red carded after another VAR review on the stroke of half time. With an extra man Dundee improved in the second half, enjoying the majority of possession, but Rangers held onto their lead.
The Dark Blues’ only change from the team that drew at Motherwell was Ricki Lamie returning at centre back with Aaron Donnelly moving to left wing back to replace the injured Owen Beck.
Rangers attacked with intensity from the start and had the first shot on target after only 14 seconds. Trevor Carson took Jose Cifuentes’ 20 yard effort comfortably. However, the Dee were first to offer a real threat and took an early lead.
Lyall Cameron dribbled clear of two defenders but Jack Butland pulled off a fine save to turn the shot round the post. Cameron took the corner, a deep delivery. Lamie headed into the goalmouth and Amadou BAKAYOKO tucked the chance away from close range with only five minutes gone.
From then on Dundee were forced back and defended in depth, surrendering the midfield. Rangers’ speed of movement and passing continually found space in the final third and pulled Dee defenders out of position.
It was no surprise when Rangers equalised after 20 minutes. A deep cross was going nowhere but was only half cleared. The ball broke to Cyriel DESSERS, who hammered a ferocious cross shot into the top corner from 15 yards.
Two minutes later Abdallah Sima got round Antonio Portales on the outside and Carson pushed the shot out for a corner. After the corner was cleared there was a lengthy VAR review which established that Aaron Donnelly had pulled Sima’s shirt. Aaron Donnelly received a yellow card for the foul on Sima. James TAVERNIER scored from the resulting penalty.
Antonio Portales was injured in the lead up to the corner and was replaced by Cammy Kerr, who went to right back with Jordan McGhee switching to centre back.
After 34 minutes a difficult afternoon for the Dark Blues got even harder when Abdallah SIMA powered in a header from a corner to make it 3-1. It might have been even worse as the Dee endured a horribly uncomfortable close to the first half. Carson had to save in quick succession from Sima and Todd Cantwell before Tavernier sent a chip against the crossbar. Cantwell did net shortly afterwards, but the goal was ruled out for a foul in the build up.
The Dark Blues got an unexpected break when Rangers were reduced to 10 men in first half injury time. Jose Cifuentes received a yellow card for a foul on Bakayoko but it was changed to a red following a VAR review.
Rangers reorganised at half time, sending on Dujon Sterling and Ross McCausland for Cantwell and Rabbi Matondo. Dundee also made two changes early in the second half. Scott Tiffoney and Charlie Reilly came on for Aaron Donnelly and Zak Rudden. Cammy Kerr moved to left back and Jordan McGhee replaced him at right back. Dundee were now lining up 4-3-3, with Tiffoney and Reilly the wide attacking players.
The Dark Blues improved greatly after half time and enjoyed far more possession. They played some nice football in midfield and approaching the Rangers penalty area. However, none of it resulted in good chances or Butland having to make any taxing saves.
Kerr was chopped down a foot outside Rangers’ penalty area. Luke McCowan and Cameron worked a short free kick before McCowan drilled a low shot narrowly wide.
Cameron almost had a golden chance, but John Souttar stretched to knock the ball over his own bar before the midfielder could shoot.
With less of the play and none of the potent fluent attacking we saw in the first half Rangers still created more danger than Dundee managed in the second half. Joe Shaughnessy was caught in possession twice, but Sima shot wide the first time it happened, and Dessers dithered until the chance was lost on the second occasion.
Leon Balogun had a scuffed shot cleared off the line in a scramble following a free kick. Sterling hit the post with a fierce rising shot from 20 yards as the game was entering injury time.
Apart from that the second half was largely spent with Dundee attacking but unable to break Rangers down. The home defence did have several uncomfortable moments, but they were always able to recover.
Late in the first half there was a clear danger that Rangers might run away with the game. Dundee used their extra man well to keep the ball and control the game for most of the second half, but Rangers were alway comfortable sitting on their two goal lead. They never looked in danger of being caught out by a Dee fightback. Dundee’s midfield and defence was much more comfortable and composed in the second half, but by then the game was gone.
Dundee have played worse at Ibrox in recent years, but today they weren’t good enough to take anything from the game.
Rangers 4-2-3-1
Butland
Tavernier (c), Souttar, Balogun, Barisic
Lundstram (King 89), Cifuentes
Matondo (McCausland at half time), Cantwell (Sterling at half time), Sima
Dessers (Roofe 72)
Unused subs: McRorie (gk), Yilmaz, Goldson, Lammers, Davies.
Goals: Dessers (20), Tavernier (pen 26), Sima (34).
Booked: Barisic (foul on Reilly).
Sent off: Cifuentes (foul on Bakayoko).
Dundee FC 3-5-2
Carson
Portales (Kerr 26), Shaughnessy (c), Lamie
McGhee, Cameron, Boateng, McCowan, Donnelly (Tiffoney 51)
Bakayoko (Robinson 68), Rudden (Reilly 51)
Unused substitutes: Legzdins (gk), Ashcroft, Mulligan, Robertson, Sylla.
Goal: Bakayoko (5).
Booked: McGhee (foul on Roofe), Donnelly (foul on Sima), Lamie (foul on Roofe), McCowan (foul on Barisic).
Referee: Kevin Clancy. Assistants: David Roome, John McCrossan. Fourth Official: Alan Muir. VAR: Steven Kirkland. Assistant VAR: Gary Hilland.
Attendance: to be announced.
Report: James Christie.
