Aberdeen 2 - 1 Rangers

A pulsating first 45 minutes from Aberdeen, followed by a second half where they dug deep and showed real character to re-establish their superiority after a Rangers resurgence, saw the Dons win again at a raucous Pittodrie. 

There was just one change to Jimmy Thelin’s starting XI after the win over Dundee United at the weekend, skipper Graeme Shinnie returning to the side with Ante Palaversa on the bench. 

Rangers beat St Mirren 2-1 at Ibrox on Sunday and made five changes to their side with James Tavernier, John Souttar, Tom Lawrence, Cyriel Dessers and Ross McCausland all starting in place of Robin Propper, Jefte, Mohamed Diomande, Vaclav Cerny and Hamza Igamane. 

Rangers had the first look at goal in the fourth minute, a Dessers shot blocked by Nicky Devlin, Sivert Heltne Nilsen tidying up after him to clear the danger. 

Aberdeen responded and Jamie McGrath and Nicky Devlin both came close in the ninth minute, Tavernier making a crucial block from McGrath’s goalbound shot from an Ester Sokler pull back, then Devlin drove a 20 yarder across the face and just wide. 

On 15 minutes, Dessers raised both arms to push Slobodan Rubezic to the floor as he shepherded the ball back to the goalkeeper, but the Rangers man escaped a card. 

McGrath was close again after 22 minutes, a free-kick 25 yards out and to the left of the D beating the wall but the ball curled just wide of the frame with Butland looking beaten. McCausland was booked a minute later for bundling McGrath over around halfway. 

There was controversy on 27 minutes as Sokler was on the chase alongside Balogun. The Aberdeen man got the first touch on the ball before Balogun came across and caught him, when Sokler would otherwise have been clean through. The referee waved play on and then went back to book Sokler for his protests, VAR detecting a touch from Balogun on the ball. 

The Dons were pouring forward now though, Souttar making an important block on a McGrath shot after Duk had skinned Tavernier. Recycling possession, Jack MacKenzie worked space and slung in a dangerous cross. Topi Keskinen was up to head it across the face of goal, Devlin coming in at the back post to guide the ball back into the far corner for 1-0.

It was nearly 2-0 within a minute, Shinnie smacking a 20 yarder through the box, the ball thudding off the post and away to safety. Next it was Duk, firing a first time shot at goal, Souttar producing a desperate last ditch block. 

On 36 minutes, Souttar’s outstretched arm blocked a Keskinen shot, the referee sent to the monitor by VAR, a penalty given. McGrath stepped up but the penalty lacked power and Butland was down to his right to save comfortably.

Butland was at full stretch after 44 minutes, making a fine save from a MacKenzie piledriver from a central position 20 yards out, the Dons fans enjoying their side’s performance but perhaps ruing the fact that they weren’t out of sight by now. 

They were certainly close to ruing it in the second minute of added time, Rangers so close to being back on terms through McCausland, jabbing the ball home from a couple of yards out. Thankfully, VAR ruled that Dessers had been offside in the build-up. It was very close. 

HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 RANGERS 0

McCausland was replaced by Sterling for the visitors at the break. 

Rangers started brightly, forcing two corners and from the second, after playing it to the edge of the box, a cross in reached Balogun with a free header six yards out, which he obligingly put wide of goal. MacKenzie was then booked after tangling with Sterling on 50 minutes. Sivert Heltne Nilsen followed him in two minutes later as Aberdeen couldn’t get things going again. 

Duk went down injured on 55 minutes, and was immediately replaced by Shayden Morris. Dimitar Mitov was booked on the hour for time wasting.

Aberdeen finally had a spell of concerted pressure on 62, penning Rangers in before the move ended with McGrath firing wide. Next, a mazy run from Morris that took him all the way into the box, was ended by Butland making a diving save at his feet as the Dons tried to up the ante again. But the game was getting stretched and Rangers broke quickly, the ball helped on to Bajrami on the left. He cut inside, showed good control and curled the ball around Mitov and just inside the far post to make it 1-1 on 63 minutes. 

Aberdeen responded with a triple change four minutes later, Ante Palaversa, Vicente Besuijen and Peter Ambrose replacing Heltne Nilsen, Sokler and Keskinen. 

Dessers and Bajrami had real opportunities to score in the 70th minute but Devlin and Rubezic swooped down upon them to clear, but after hanging on so desperately in the first half, Rangers were now the side in the ascendancy. 

And yet Aberdeen were back in front on 74 minutes. A McGrath free-kick was half cleared but Palaversa came onto it 20 yards and laced a shot at goal that forced a brilliant save from Butland. Aberdeen were able to recycle things and MacKenzie drove a low cross into the near post. Devlin managed to squirt a shot past Butland that rolled all away along the line, clipped the far post and, as it came out, Morris came running onto it and blasted the ball into the net with such venom it nearly took the goal into the Red Shed. Cue mayhem. 

Rangers immediately brought on Hagi and Jefte for Lawrence and Bajrami, then Balogun was booked for a heavy challenge on Ambrose on 78, Ambrose eventually fit to continue after treatment. Leighton Clarkson replaced McGrath on 81 minutes in the home side’s final change. Dessers made way for Igamane on 83. Sterling was booked for a foul on Clarkson almost immediately after before Molloy joined him in the 91st minute, then it was Raskin’s turn for taking a late kick at Besuijen. 

On 93, Rangers had their last chance of salvation. Sterling fired a cross into the box, Tavernier got up, but he glanced his header wide of the goal. Onto Hampden.

4 minutes added at end 1st half.
4 minutes added at end 2nd half.