This game was bookended by goals at its opening and close as Rangers took all three points against Aberdeen.
But in a game that seemed like a procession towards Aberdeen’s goal for much of it there was unnecessary angst in the closing stages before Leon Balogun’s added time header supplemented Hamza Igamane’s 14th minute opener. Cyriel Dessers added a gloss to the scoreline with a 97th minute effort to finally see Aberdeen off.
In between times it would not have been an exaggeration to suggest Rangers might have been in double figures given the dominance they enjoyed in stages against an Aberdeen side who seemed determined to self-sabotage at every opportunity, particularly in the opening stages.
The Ibrox support’s dissatisfaction with the board continued with banners unveiled in the 55th minute with isolated pockets of disapproval around the ground.
Igamane ought to have had an early opener after Aberdeen gifted Rangers possession at the edge of the box.
Vaclav Cerny put Igamane through but as he looked to dink the ball into the far corner he dragged it wide of the target.
It set the tone for a gamewhere Aberdeen looked every inch a team devoid of confidence and composure as they repeatedly gave up possession.
Repeatedly, they created their own issues as they struggled to keep the ball, consistently gifting possession in and around their own box.
Jefte next to fire in a dangerous ball across the face of goal that didn’t have a taker at the back post.
A goal, though, felt inevitable as Rangers’ pressure bore fruit.
Sivert Nilsen was poor as Aberdeen once more yielded possession in the most dangerous of areas.
Cerny was the recipient as delivered a cross in for Mohamed Diomande. His effort was blocked with Igamane on hand to bury the rebound.
Nicky Devlin was forced to block a Ianis Hagi volley as Rangers kept their foot to the floor.
On the rare occasions when Aberdeen did get forward there was nothing of note to ask questions of Rangers. Jeppe Okkels crossing a poor ball straight into the arms of the waiting Liam Kelly.
The Rangers stopper had a heart-in-mouth moment when Leighton Clarkston let fly with an audacious effort from just over the halfway line after spotting Kelly off his line, with the keeper scrambling back to claw the ball on the line.
Kevin Nisbet could have done better with a ball floated into the ball from Graeme Shinnie but the striker failed to get anything on it.
Normal service was not long in resuming; Hagi’s pass through the Dons weak backline sent Danilo scampering in behind with Ross Doohan forced to bolt off his line to smother the danger.
Igamane drew another decent save from Doohan before the break after letting fly from the edge of the box following a one-two with Danilo before Hagi was denied at the bear post by the Aberdeen stopper.
Rangers thought they had a shout for a penalty after the break when Kristers Tobers caught Nico Raskin but VAR dismissed the claim.
Hagi clipped the crossbar as Rangers kept up the pressure for a second goal to kill the game off.
There were ample chances – Leon Balogun clipped the woodwork too – but the tenuous nature of the scoreline made for some anxious moments in the latter stages of the game as Aberdeen tried to force a leveller.
Balogun’s header as he got on the end of Clinton Nsiala cross to bullet a header into the back of the net.
As Aberdeen finally gave up the ghost there was a third, the last action of the game as Dessers, capitalising on some horrendous defending from Alfie Dorrington added the third.
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