Rangers achieved a 4-1 victory over lower-ranked Aberdeen, moving them past Celtic into second place in the Scottish Premiership.
With leaders Hearts winning in the early hours on Saturday, it was vital that Danny Rohr’s side got the three points and showed their desire to fight for the title. Despite the slow start, there was no doubt about the ideal outcome.
Toti Chukwani broke the deadlock with his first league goal in the 35th minute, off the rebound of Mikey Moore’s first shot. The Spurs loanee played well in midfield and gave his side the advantage with a superbly composed finish just after the break.
Mikey Moore was one of Rangers’ standout players.
Dennis Geiger then tried to seize the opportunity to create a crisis, but the threat was too brief. After Rangers had fallen behind, the Dons scored their first away goal of 2026, only to concede a game-ending third goal 10 minutes later, continuing their dangerous slide in difficult fashion.
With all of Aberdeen’s defenders stationary from the second phase of the set-piece, Nicholas Raskin curled it inside the far post, and in the second half James Tavernier curled a magnificent free-kick past a desperate Dimitar Mitov. Any fears around Ibrox were dispelled long before Tavernier’s shock stoppage-time goal, and the title talk was as loud and convincing as it has been all season.
Rangers extended their unbeaten run in the league to 14 games, picked up more points than in any game since Christmas, and are well placed to go all the way in this fascinating three-way contest for the Scottish Premiership title.
Roll: 7 games left until the finals
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Rangers head coach Danny Rolle is confident Rangers will win the title after their Scottish Premiership win over Aberdeen
Rangers head coach Danny Rolle told Sky Sports:
“The result and the performance were great. We totally deserved the win. We are a dominant team and that’s what we want. The result was great. Four goals is always good. Now we have to move forward, nothing more, nothing less. Seven games left, seven finals, this is our job.”
“Overall, we looked very good today. We were dominant in both directions, we were aggressive, we were good in possession situations, and we played some great football. In football, results come first, and I’ve said it many times. Last week we got the results and we delivered the performance today. When you play like this, you know we’re a really good team.”
“Goals are always what we like to see and we like clean sheets. We’d take a 1-0 away too, so there’s no question mark for the supporters, but it’s great to see four goals. “If you want to criticize a little bit, I’d say clean sheets. I like Ncito, but overall I’m proud of the team. Now I hope they come back strong from the international break and then we have to go again. It’s still a long time, seven games until the final, but we’re in the race.”
“Mikey (Moore) is an important player, but it’s not just about him. The team is the star. If you want, we have 24 players available, not just 11 players. That’s a big compliment to the medical department as well. Especially at this time of year, everyone is available and hopefully we can keep this up.”
“I have a lot of faith because I have a lot of trust[in the players]. I watched them in training yesterday and they played 11-on-11 and I saw the quality on both sides and how they push each other. That’s the spirit we need. I’m confident that if we give 100 percent we can win all seven games, but if you don’t give 100 percent it’s difficult to win games in this league.”
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Aberdeen head coach Stephen Robinson has admitted his new side are in a relegation battle in the Scottish Premiership following defeat to Rangers
Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson told Sky Sports:
“We conceded goals poorly. We didn’t let Rangers work for goals. We contained Rangers and looked organized for 30 minutes. You can’t do anything about it if you get beaten by James Tavernier’s goal, but the level of goals we conceded was low. We know that as a team and as a staff, and I told the players that.”
“This is the story of the season. We have conceded too many goals. The reality is we are in a relegation battle. We have to stop that and we have to come together and make sure we get out of it. It’s time to stand up and be counted. I told the players the truth at home. They know the reality of the situation very well. It’s clear we are in a relegation battle, they can read the table and make a statement.”
“I’m hoping for a united response from everyone – the staff, the players and myself – to ensure we move forward. We now have a few weeks to relieve the pressure and once the players return from international duty we have time to work on some things and then we have to go out there and respond.”
“I don’t know if soft is the right word. We didn’t defend well enough. It’s not just the defenders, it’s the group. Teams defend together, score, win and lose, so we have to get better as a group. I think this was happening long before I came. We couldn’t stop it tonight, so I take full responsibility for that. You can’t come to Rangers and concede goals like that.”
“You can’t influence other results. You can only influence your own results. We have a big game coming up in two weeks (against St Mirren) and I’m hoping for a response and I’m sure we’ll get one. We have to stick together. We inherited a situation that no one wanted and the fans certainly didn’t want either. They’re always traveling in those numbers and we have to be seen to be putting our bodies on the line and going that little bit further.”
