Rangers were back to winning ways on Wednesday night when they clinched an edgy win against St. Johnstone at McDiarmid Park. But the Light Blues had a sterner test this afternoon versus Aberdeen as these two sides settled for draws in the past two meetings. The Ibrox fixture was heading for another stalemate, however, a late goal from Kemar Roofe earned the hosts a massive victory from this nervy contest.
Below are the Rangers players rated in their 1-0 win against Aberdeen.
Allan McGregor: 7
Back to back clean sheets for the veteran Scotsman. Was rarely tested between the sticks, but his distribution could have been better in terms of long balls.
James Tavernier: 7.5
Tried his best to make a difference down the right-hand flank. Won the most number of duels and kept on whipping in crosses at a regular interval. Was not allowed to cut inside and create enough menace with his shooting.
Connor Goldson: 7.5
Dominated the duels, also maintained his concentration against the Dons’ counter-attacking moves. Looked confident with the ball at his feet while playing it out from the back.
Calvin Bassey: 7.5
Started as a centre-half but was shifted down the left for the final half an hour. His energy and efficiency helped the Light Blues maintain their composure in the defensive third.
Borna Barisic: 6.5
Started the game brightly with overlapping runs, crosses and link-up play. Lacked intent in the second half and was eventually taken off to be replaced by Leon Balogun.
Glen Kamara: 8
Misplaced a few passes, but the Finnish ace showed his creative spark as a deep-lying playmaker. Carried the ball forward and created a few chances in the attacking third. Was spot on with his tackles and timely recoveries in the middle of the park.
Ryan Jack: 7.5
Missed the midweek tie but the Scotsman returned to the starting XI as a double pivot alongside Kamara. Got dispossessed once but he enjoyed his time on the pitch with smart passing movements and timely tackles. Made way for John Lundstram late in the match.
Joe Aribo: 7.5
Kept on losing possession, failed with his duels as well as dribbling attempts. However, the Nigerian made the most crucial contribution in the closing minutes when he set it up for Roofe to break the deadlock.
Fashion Sakala: 7
Had quite a few attempts while featuring from the wide. Hit the woodwork once but he could not trouble Joe Lewis between the sticks before making way for Scott Arfield around the hour mark.
Ryan Kent: 7
Lively down the left with his tricky footwork and swift runs. Created a few chances with smart one-twos, dribbles and through balls.
Alfredo Morelos: 5.5
A bad day in the office for the Colombian talisman. Remained isolated upfront and struggled to make a difference before making way for Kemar Roofe.
Rangers Substitutes Vs Aberdeen
Leon Balogun: 7
Lost a few duels but he had a decent outing since coming on.
Scott Arfield: 7
Helped in the build-ups as a wide midfielder.
John Lundstram: 7
Slotted in deep down the midfield in place of Ryan Jack.
Kemar Roofe: 7.5
Was having a difficult time of late with limited opportunities. But he grabbed his chance expertly by finding the net in the closing minutes.
