RANGERS secured another three Scottish Premiership points this afternoon with a comprehensive 4-1 defeat of Dundee United at Ibrox.
First half strikes from Ianis Hagi and Ryan Kent were followed by Joe Aribo and Alfredo Morelos adding to the scoring in the second half.
Boss Steven Gerrard named four changes to his side - from the team which started Thursday night’s dramatic win at Royal Antwerp - captain James Tavernier and Kemar Roofe missed out through injury and suspension respectively, with Glen Kamara and Scott Arfield on the bench. Leon Balogun, Ryan Jack, Ianis Hagi and Ryan Kent all came into the starting XI.
Rangers began the game brightly with lots of energy to their performance, but it was the visitors who had the first real opportunity of the match on nine minutes.
Lawrence Shankland managed to find a way through the home defence to bear down on goal, but there to deny him was Allan McGregor with a stunning point-blank block to keep the scores level.
Louis Appere was also denied by McGregor, the keeper again smartly coming off his line, before Gers forced a fine stop from Benjamin Siegrist.
A super cross-field ball from Jack picked out Joe Aribo who skinned three Tangerine-clad jerseys before curling one for the bottom corner which the visiting goalkeeper did superbly to claw away.
McGregor again denied Apere, this time from 25-yards, before Rangers hit the front on 35 minutes.
Showing superb patience in and around the United box, Aribo’s dancing feet eventually worked the space for a shot just inside the area.
Siegrist might well have been set to save the strike, but before he could, Ianis Hagi got the merest of flicks to divert it beyond the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
Three minutes later, and it was 2-0. Gers were really playing some lovely football now, and as they threatened again, a United clearance dropped for Ryan Kent 15-yards from goal inside the area.
He volleyed it first time and with the aid of a huge deflection from Ryan Edwards, the ball dropped into the back of the net.
Siegrist denied Alfredo Morelos as the hosts went looking for a third, while on the half-volley from the edge of the box, Steven Davis sent one just wide.
Balogun then picked Morelos out at the back post with a stunning cross from the right which Siegrist somehow kept out.
Three minutes after the restart, however, Siegrist didn’t have an earthly as Joe Aribo provided his entry for goal of the season.
Picking up a Barisic throw-in midway inside the United half, he beat Calum Butcher, played a lovely one-two with Morelos to take him into the area, jinked inside Edwards and unleashed a screaming drive into the top corner.
It was wonderful from Aribo, and Gers didn’t stop there as they continued to pour forward in numbers in the search for more goals.
Morelos, under pressure, headed a Barisic cross just wide at the back post before on 64 minutes, the Colombian did get on the scoresheet in rather bizarre circumstances.
Nodding on a Scott Wright through-pass to run onto, the ball was cleared by United keeper Siegrist.
Incredibly, however, he that clearance straight at Morelos and the ball ended up in the back of the net for 4-0 and his 12th of the season.
Three minutes later, and Morelos was brought down in the area by Jeando Fuchs for a penalty – albeit before referee Nick Walsh pointed to the spot, Scott Arfield cannoned the loose ball off the junction of bar and post from distance.
Up-stepped Borna Barisic to take, but Siegrist redeemed himself with a fine save low to his left to deny the full-back.
Ryan Kent came close to a second, curling one just wide after a super run inside from the right, before United pulled one back on 86 minutes, Marc McNulty putting one inside McGregor’s right-hand post.
Wright had a late chance for number five cleared away, before in injury time, Connor Goldson headed into the arms of Siegrist from a Wright corner.
So 4-1 is how it finished, and its onto Thursday now, and the visit of Royal Antwerp to Ibrox in the Europa League.
RANGERS: McGregor, Balogun, Goldson, Helander (Simpson, 67), Barisic, Jack (Kamara, 27), Davis (Wright, 63), Aribo, Hagi (Arfield, 63), Kent, Morelos (Defoe, 67).
SUBS: McLaughlin, Simpson, Itten, Wright, Stewart, King.
DUNDEE UNITED: Siegrist, Smith, Reynolds, Clark, Edwards, Robson, Butcher, Harkes, Shankland, Appere (McNulty, 68), Fuchs.