RANGERS 2 ABERDEEN 0
Tuesday 6 January 2026
SPFL Premiership
Ibrox
Attendance: 50,375
Referee: Nick Walsh
A feisty and solid performance from the Dons at Ibrox was undone as they conceded twice from Rangers corners and spurned a handful of glorious chances at the opposite end.
For the 300th league meeting of the two sides, Peter Leven made four changes to the Aberdeen team beaten at Falkirk with Nicky Devlin, Emmanuel Gyamfi, Kjartan Kjartansson and Dante Polvara coming into the team. Jesper Karlsson, Topi Keskinen and Dylan Lobban dropped to the bench, with Adil Aouchiche out injured.
Rangers beat Celtic 3-1 at Parkhead on Saturday but made two changes to their side, with James Tavernier and Mohamed Diomande replacing Dujon Sterling and Thelonious Aasgaard.
567 Aberdeen fans made the trip, many of them having to deal with the horrendous road conditions in the north.
Rangers should have been in front on four minutes when Dimitar Mitov spilled a high free-kick at the feet of Barron. The Rangers man had the goal at his mercy but took too long to get his shot away and allowed Mitov to atone by getting a great block on it. Devlin was in the book a minute later for a late challenge on Raskin.
There was a vital intervention from Polvara, a diving header to put a long ball behind for a corner as it looked set to find Moore in on goal after nine minutes. Devlin produced a good block on a Moore shot a minute later. From the corner it was 1-0 to Rangers, Barron’s ball to the back post was nodded into an empty net by Fernandez, given a free header and Mitov slipped as the cross came in. A poor goal to give away.
A poor challenge on Polvara by Gassama avoided a card despite the American taking a sore in the chest on 14 minutes. From there though, a long pass from Dante set Kenan Bilalovic in behind the defence and clean through on goal, but his second touch was too heavy and the ball was away from him and into Butland’s gloves.
Devlin was down and needing the physios on 24 minutes for an injury to the left leg before resuming.
Aberdeen were on the break again on 28 minutes after Stuart Armstrong intercepted the ball on halfway and played Kevin Nisbet into space. He advanced into the box before cleverly squaring it for Bilalovic. The ball was just fractionally behind him, the striker failed to control, and the chance was gone.
Tavernier forced Mitov into a good save on 39, fizzing in a free-kick from the Dons’ right flank, the goalkeeping tipping the curling effort over the bar. One corner was headed behind by Mats Knoester, but the second gave Rangers a 2-0 lead. Played to the near post, Raskin got away from his defender and thumped a glancing header across the face of the goal, beyond the diving Mitov and in. All too easy for the hosts.
Devlin was in the wars again on the brink of half-time, clashing heads with Meghoma and needing patching up before he could carry on with a nasty gash on his forehead.
Raskin still had time to nearly make it three, a free-kick on the Aberdeen left floated into the box, Raskin getting on the end of it but fortunately, this time he ballooned his header over.
HALF-TIME: RANGERS 2 ABERDEEN 0
Rangers brought on Aasgaard for Moore at the break. He quickly drew a booking for Knoester who had a hold of his shirt on halfway on 51 minutes. Miovski and Sterling then replaced Chermiti and Souttar after 58 minutes.
Barron wasn’t far away just before the hour, picking up a clearance 20 yards out and flashing a volley inches over the bar from the edge of the box.
Aberdeen brought on Leighton Clarkson and Marko Lazetic for Kjartansson and Bilalovic in the 62nd minute.
Nisbet was inches away from bringing the Dons back into it on 64, Clarkson drifting a cross in from the right edge of the box, Nisbet’s glancing header touched just behind. It was a very good save from Butland. From the corner though, Polvara could have scored, up at the back stick like Fernandez in the first half, but he got his header slightly wrong and popped it over the bar when the net should have been bulging.
Danilo replaced the limping Diomande in the 69th minute. Alexander Jensen and Karksson replaced Gyamfi and Nesbit four minutes later.
Mitov kept the Dons in it on 79, a magnificent diving save away to his right after Raskin was left in space 25 yards out. His arcing shot across the face was clawed away by the goalkeeper.
Karlsson had another good chance on 81 after he was threaded through by Armstrong. On the corner of the six-yard box, he took too long to shoot and allowed Sterling to come across and block his effort.
There was another chance from a corner on 86, the ball dropping for Armstrong who somehow fashioned a backheel at goal that flew just over the bar. He then made way for Keskinen, as Barron was replaced by Aarons.
As we headed into added time, another glorious chance for the Dons when Devlin played in Clarkson but there wasn’t enough conviction on his sidefooted shot and Fernandez was given the opportunity to block it behind.
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Souttar (Sterling 58), Fernandez, Meghoma, Barron (Aarons 87), Raskin, Diomande (Danilo 69), Gassama, Chermiti (Miovski 58), Moore (Aasgaard 46).
Subs not used: Kelly, Matondo, Nsiala, Dowell.
Goal: Fernandez (11), Raskin (42)
Aberdeen: Mitov, Devlin, Knoester, Milne, Gyamfi (Jensen 73), Polvara, Kjartansson (Clarkson 62), Shinnie, Armstrong (Keskinen 87), Nisbet (Karlsson 73), Bilalovic (Lazetic 62).
Subs not used: Suman, Heltne Nilsen, Milanovic, Lobban.
Booked: Devlin, Knoester
