RANGERS turned in an excellent, controlled performance to run out 3-0 winners over Dundee at Ibrox this afternoon.
Joe Aribo, a Ryan Sweeney own-goal and an Alfredo Morelos strike proved to the difference, with Gers playing some superb football en-route to their three points today.
Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst named two changes to his side for this afternoon’s Scottish Premiership match with Dundee.
Despite the cold, wet conditions in Glasgow this afternoon, the Ibrox pitch was in magnificent condition, and is all set for the manager’s first home league match in charge.
Today, Fashion Jr and Scott Arfield came in for Ryan Kent and Steven Davis.
That meant it was a back five of Allan McGregor in goal with James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Calvin Bassey and Borna Barisic in front of him.
Arfield joined Glen Kamara and Aribo in the middle of the park, while up front, Fashion Jr and Ianis Hagi played in support of Morelos.
Gers began with plenty of energy and threat, with the first real opportunity falling the way of Fashion Jr on 11 minutes. He superbly took a Morelos lay-off inside the area and jinked away from Cammy Kerr only to fire over from an acute angle.
Goalkeeper Adam Legzdins held onto a 30-yard Tavernier free-kick, while Fashion Jr had another opportunity which flashed across the face of goal when Morelos laid it off for him after winning the ball on the 18-yard line from Charlie Adam.
The little Zambian international was then foiled by a super Legzdins save, turning his effort round the post when he worked a yard of space for the shot at the back post, before the goalkeeper made a similar, flying save to deny Goldson with a header in the same area on the end of a Tavernier corner.
Finally, however, on 36 minutes, the opening goal did arrive, with Joe Aribo grabbing his fifth of the season.
The visitors were penned well back in their own half by Gers, and eventually, they were able to get the ball to Aribo to dance his way along the 18-yard line and with the aid of a deflection, hand his side the lead with his shot.
Morelos should have made it 2-0 when he was put in by Hagi after some more incisive play, but Legzdins was sharp off his line to deny him, before he was again denied by the goalkeeper when played in by Fashion Jr.
Gers had Dundee camped-in once more at the start of the second half, with Arfield desperately unlucky to see an effort diverted onto the post by Legzdins, while Bassey came forward to test the goalkeeper from distance from a low effort.
The ‘keeper again saved from Morelos at his front post, before pulling off another wonder save to stop Fashion Jr when he made a super run into the area.
The pressure was going to tell at some point, and finally it did in the 55th minute, with Ryan Sweeney turning an Aribo ball across the face of goal into his own net.
Gers were quite happy to give some possession up to Dundee afterwards, and when the opportunity came to counter, they did so in lightning fashion, with that ending in the third goal on 70 minutes.
Fashion Jr broke down the left and fed Arfield in the middle. He slipped one through for Morelos, who just bullied a path to goal despite the best efforts of the visiting defence before finishing well past Legzdins.
Christie Elliot prevented Morelos grabbing another by clearing his header from a Tavernier corner off the line, while McGregor somehow kept out a Griffiths effort in added time to keep the clean sheet.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic, Arfield, Kamara (Jack, 73) Aribo (Bacuna, 83), Fashion Jr, Hagi (Wright, 65), Morelos.
SUBS NOT USED: McLaughlin, Patterson, Lundstram, Roofe.
DUNDEE: Legzdins, Kerr, Marshall, Fontaine, Sweeney, Mullen (Cummings, 62), McGowan, Elliot, McCowan, McMullan, Adam (Griffiths, 54).
SUBS NOT USED: Lawlor, Jakubiak, Panter, Lamb.
REFEREE: Alan Muir
ATTENDANCE: 49,628
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