Rangers secured a much-needed win on the road after coming from behind to earn a 3-1 victory against Dundee United.
Philippe Clement's team won their fourth away game in the Scottish Premiership since August thanks to goals from Mohamed Diomande, Robin Propper and Cyriel Dessers.
The Rangers Review dissects the moments that made the win from Tayside below.
Rangers travel better (and carry some luck)
During a run of three draws and one defeat in their last four matches away from home in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers had only scored the first goal once and here the opposition once again struck the first blow. Sam Dalby had already tested the woodwork with a header by the time his strike from a long throw flew past Jack Butland inside 20 minutes. A lead was exactly what Jim Goodwin’s side merited for their opening period with Butland twice called into action before the opener to keep parity.
Clement’s men would find a reply before half-time in the form of a Mohamed Diomande strike from range. The 22-year-old midfielder had made an early pattern in his Rangers career of scoring from outside the box around but has rarely found the net since. This time, chopping onto his right foot after a feinted effort on his left, the Ivory Coast midfielder fired a vital goal into the far corner.
Dalby went close with another headed effort before the break while Dessers and Nedim Bajrami came close to turning the score just before half-time on a counterattack. Robin Propper would find a second five minutes after half-time however when, having remained up the pitch after a corner, the Dutch defender found himself free in the box, turned on a Ianis Hagi pass and hit the back of the net with the help of a Kevin Holt deflection. Within minutes Nico Raskin was clearing a shot off the line from a set-piece at the other end and Dessers was passing up a fantastic one-on-one opportunity to secure the result in a game where control was fleeting for either side.
More action was not far away. As the visitors spent more time around the Dundee United box and threatened another, Raskin so nearly sent the ball into his own net from a Dalby cross that clipped the post instead of finding the net. Late on Dessers would have the final say with a fantastic, left-footed finish from the narrowest of angles. A late red card for Diomande was the one negative after the midfielder was shown a straight dismissal for lashing out at Holt.
Finally, a win away from home
The last time Clement’s side travelled to Tannadice in September they left with a 1-0 victory. Since that date Rangers had won only two more of their away trips in the league arriving today with a record of three wins in 11. While Clement has defended performances on the road insisting that Rangers have “shot themselves in the foot” and focusing on individual duels as a key working point the away record follows too much of a pattern to not feature deeper issues.
Typically the Ibrox side have struggled to control matches, especially in possession. A 3-3 draw against Hibs epitomised that when Rangers twice led 2-0 and 3-2 without seeing out a win. Even at the same venue towards the start of the season when Rangers left Tayside with three points and didn’t concede a shot on target there was more than a sense of nerves towards 90 minutes.
Much of the first-half showing from Clement’s side was familiar on the road; a lack of control or meaningful chances and individual moments, rather than sustained pressure, earning a route back into proceedings. After turning around the hosts’ lead Rangers did improve in the second-half, however, and were well worth their win. While they carried some luck at points taken as a whole this was a better result and performance.
🔵 Rangers turn it around!
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) January 26, 2025
Robin Pröpper's deflected effort makes it 2-1! ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ElqxeNGUV8
Set-piece issues continue
Rangers had been handed a clear warning of the hosts’ danger at set-pieces long before Dalby struck an opener past Jack Butland after 19 minutes. The big forward, currently the SPFL’s top scorer, had struck the woodwork with a header from a corner after five minutes and saw another effort from open play fly just wide minutes later.
Clement’s men have looked very fragile at defensive set-pieces since the turn of the year conceding against Hibs twice, St Johnstone, St Mirren and now United. Had Motherwell not seen one of their own goals from a set-play unfairly ruled out for offside that number would be higher. Having conceded not once from a set-piece in the 18 games before a boxing day trip to face St Mirren, Clement’s team have allowed five in eight since.
The absence of John Souttar, who’s missed all of those matches, and Leon Balogun, who’s played less than 60 minutes across those matches, perhaps points to the issue. Without one or both of their most commanding aerial defenders and facing teams who carry a few, combined with some less than secure goalkeeping in moments. Manchester United also opened the scoring from a corner of their own at Old Trafford in midweek when Butland punched into his own net. At present it is not an issue that is going away.
The reality of another injury crisis
Injuries to Connor Barron, Leon Balogun, Vaclav Cerny and Ridvan Yilmaz compounded Clement’s already limited options for today’s lunchtime kick-off. 11 first-teamers were missing or injured for the trip - Dujon Sterling, Neraysho Kasanwirjo, John Souttar, Leon Balogun, Ridvan Yilmaz, Kieran Dowell, Connor Barron, Vaclav Cerny, Rabbi Matondo, Oscar Cortes, Danilo.
Paul Nsio, Zak Lovelace, Bailey Rice and Findlay Curtis made up a youthful bench featuring only two players over the age of 22 - a positive call that has seen the club tell some senior players (Matondo and Dowell) to find a new club to create a youth pathway for their most talented young players. Diomande and Ianis Hagi were both in the starting XI having returned from suspension and omission on the European stage.
After going behind early those who’d made the trip to Tayside would’ve been fearing the worst given Rangers had won just five of their last 24 games in which they’d conceded first. On this occasion, Clement’s team fashioned a comeback and deserves credit for doing so. Unlike against Motherwell, St Mirren and Hibs, an equaliser was found before the break and Rangers appeared less panicked as a result.
Dessers does the business
Cyriel Dessers' future remains uncertain but, as has been customary throughout his tenure at Ibrox, a purple patch is never far away. With five goals in his last week (a hat-trick against Fraserburgh alongside goals against either United) the 30-year-old forward has offered Rangers a timely reminder of his qualities. Clement conceded last week that the forward could still leave and would require replacing with sufficient quality if a transfer was to materialise.
The Ibrox side must sell a 30-year-old player in the right moment and that could still be this window. However, for what he is not Dessers remains a player quality of undoubted quality in moments as goals at Old Trafford and Tannadice have shown.
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