RANGERS drew 0-0 with Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon in their penultimate pre-season friendly ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
It was a good test for Steven Gerrard’s men who created a number of chances throughout the game with John Lundstram coming closest as his second-half effort hit the woodwork.
With just a week until the start of the Scottish Premiership season, Gerrard named Jon McLaughlin, Nathan Patterson, Jack Simpson, Leon Balogun, Calvin Bassey, Glen Kamara, Stephen Kelly, Scott Arfield, Jordan Jones, Scott Wright and Cedric Itten in his starting XI.
Fashion Sakala was on the bench as he came into the matchday squad for the first time since joining the club.
He was joined there by Robby McCrorie, James Tavernier, John Lundstram, Connor Goldson, Ianis Hagi, Jermain Defoe, Steven Davis, Ryan Kent, Nikola Katic and Borna Barisic.
Rangers came close to opening the scoring with only six minutes on the clock as Cedric Itten put goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen under pressure inside the box with the Gers striker coming away with the ball.
Itten played a one-two with Scott Wright before attempting to chip the keeper but Shane Duffy managed to get there on time to clear the goal-bound shot.
Shortly after Calvin Bassey whipped a ball in from the left which went all the way through to Nathan Patterson who returned the cross and picked out Bassey at the back post but his header was held by Kjell Scherpen.
It was a strong start to the friendly for the Light Blues as Leon Balogun saw a header saved after a lovely ball from Stephen Kelly before Scott Wright had a shot held by the Brighton goalkeeper.
Dan Burn headed over from corner for the visitors, before Jordan Jones saw a curling effort blocked by Scherpen as Gers searched for the breakthrough.
Around the half-hour mark, Scott Wright drove forward on a fantastic run before being brought down on the edge of the box but Stephen Kelly’s shot from the set-piece was high of the Brighton goal.
Marc Leonard played a long ball forward in search of Aaron Connelly for the visitors but Jon McLaughlin was alert and quick out of his box to beat the striker to the ball and clear the danger.
Just before the break McLaughlin was called into action again as he held a powerful effort from Andi Zeqiri.
Rangers made three changes at the break with Ianis Hagi, Nikola Katic, John Lundstram came on to replace Jack Simpson, Glen Kamara and Scott Arfield.
Early in the second-half Jordan Jones turned well to deliver a dangerous ball into the box but Calvin Bassey couldn’t keep his effort down as it drifted over the bar.
Gers came close again as Cedric Itten showed strength to break into the box and get a shot away which was cleared by Brighton but the rebound fell to John Lundstram and his powerful shot bounced back off the crossbar.
With half an hour of the game remaining, Jermain Defoe, Borna Barisic and Fashion Sakala came on in place of Cedric Itten, Calvin Bassey and Scott Wright.
In further changes for Gers with 69 minutes on the clock, captain James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Ryan Kent and Steven Davis replaced Nathan Patterson, Leon Balogun, Jordan Jones and Stephen Kelly.
Ianis Hagi and James Tavernier linked-up well shortly after with the Gers captain firing a dangerous cross into the box but Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele was on hand to gather before it could reach Fashion Jr. inside the box.
Hagi had the ball in the net with 10 minutes of the game remaining as he shot from the edge of the box but referee Don Robertson blew for a free-kick to the visitors as he judged a foul from Hagi in winning the ball.
Gers face their final pre-season test tomorrow evening, as 13-time European Champions Real Madrid are the visitors to Ibrox.
RANGERS: McLaughlin, Patterson (Tavernier, 69), Simpson (Katic, 46), Balogun (Goldson, 69), Bassey (Barisic, 63), Kamara (Lundstram, 46), Kelly (Davis, 69), Arfield (Hagi, 46), Jones (Kent, 69), Wright (Defoe, 63), Itten (Fashion Jr, 63).
Subs: McCrorie.
BRIGHTON: Scherpen, Leonard, Duffy, Burn, Zeqiri, Khandra, Lallana, Gross, Maupay, Connolly, Mwepu.
Subs: Steele, Walton, Tanimowo, Ostigard, Tsoungui, March, Alzate, Bissouma, Tau, Andone, Wellbeck, Richards, Furlong.
REFEREE: Don Robertson.
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On Sunday, the Light Blues will host Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid (kick-off 6pm) in their final pre-season test against the 13-time Champions of Europe.
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