Thelo Aasgaard’s second half strike proved the difference between the two sides, tapping home after Djeidi Gassama was denied, condemning the high-flying visitors to a first league defeat since all the way back in October and maintaining Danny Röhl’s unbeaten home league start to life in the dugout.
The Head Coach named three changes to his side from last weekend’s narrow defeat in the capital, welcoming Aasgaard, Gassama and Youseff Chermiti back into the starting lineup.
Motherwell have been a team in impressive form in recent months and their confidence was underlined in the opening exchanges when a searching pass over the top from Stephen Welsh prompted a neat lay-off by Lukas Fadinger into the path of Callum Hendry.
The forward picked out the run of Lukas Fadinger on his outside whose first-touch manufactured the space required to prompt an excellent stop by Jack Butland with his legs.
Less than a minute later it was the turn of Ibrahim Said to pierce the Gers rearguard with a darting run, lifting his head to pick out Hendry at the far post who was quickly smothered by Butland as he looked to redirect his finish back across the Gers goalkeeper.
Rangers, however, slowly began to wrestle control of the game in their favour as the first half reached its midway point.
Aasgaard couldn’t quite sort his feet out from Jayden Meghoma’s delivery at the edge of the penalty area, but the ball fell invitingly to Gassama who curled wide of the far post with a rasping effort.
A left-footed volley from Connor Barron then prompted a reaction stop from Calum Ward in the Motherwell goal, with Gassama quick to react on the follow-up but planting the rebound straight onto the chest of the goalkeeper.
Much that was bright about the hosts in the opening period was coming through Aasgaard, who displayed terrific dancing feet to skip through a succession of Motherwell bodies inside the penalty area and drive a dangerous effort into the side netting.
For all of Rangers’ intent in the attacking areas, they were still reminded of Motherwell’s threat – after Chermiti scooped over the crossbar with an acrobatic effort – down the opposite end when Elijah Just raced around the outside of Tavernier and forced Butland into an impressive save.
Emmanuel Fernandez then met a floated delivery from Tavernier on the stroke of half-time, but his glancing header lacked the required purchase to truly trouble Ward who gratefully collected.
The second half almost began on the perfect note for the home side when Nico Raskin had the ball in the net, stroking home from 10 yards out after a neat pull-back from Gassama on the left-hand side, but after a heavily delayed offside flag the VAR backed up the on-field decision that Chermiti had obstructed the Motherwell goalkeeper from an offside position.
Gassama certainly seemed to be in the mood – shifted over to the right following the introduction of Mikey Moore – and there were unfortunately no takers in a Rangers jersey when he shimmied down the right and drilled in a dangerous, low delivery.
A hopeful ball over the top from Elliot Watt just shy of the hour-mark almost caught Rangers on their heels when Just left Butland stranded outside of his penalty area, but Meghoma showed experience beyond his years to marshal the Motherwell attacker off the ball.
The hosts couldn’t quite believe they hadn’t found the opener moments later when Gassama, again, weaved his magic down the flanks, picking out Chermiti whose deft flick was denied at full stretch initially by Ward who sprung to his feet in double quick fashion to thwart Moore from close-range on the rebound.
It was the tale of two goalkeepers as after Ward denied Chermiti and Raskin in quick succession, Butland was at his brilliant best at the other end when Hendry collected Just’s cross from the left and forced the Gers goalkeeper into a terrific diving stop.
It proved to be a defining moment as, just 60 seconds later, Rangers raced into the attacking third through Gassama whose curling effort was pushed out by Ward but only as far as Aasgaard who had the simplest of tasks in slotting into an empty net at the far post.
Meghoma was denied what would have been a terrific individual effort and substitutes Findlay Curtis and Lyall Cameron went close, while John Souttar and Lyall Cameron marked their return from injury with late cameos, as the hosts saw out a priceless three points infront of a home crowd in their penultimate outing of 2025.
RANGERS: Butland, Tavernier, Sterling (Souttar, 85), Fernandez, Meghoma, Barron, Raskin, Diomande (Moore, 54), Aasgaard (Cameron, 85), Gassama (Curtis, 85), Chermiti (Miovski, 75)
Subs not used: Kelly, Aarons, Dowell, Danilo
MOTHERWELL: Ward, Sparrow (Osong, 83), Fadinger, McGinn, Watt (Preistman, 90), Just (Slattery, 67), Koutroumbis (O’Donnell, 67), Longelo, Welsh, Hendry (Stamatelopoulos, 67), Said
Subs not used: Connelly, Gordon, Ross, McAllister