Rangers managed to dodge a home defeat in the Scottish Premiership, thanks to James Tavernier’s penalty right at the death, scraping a 1-1 draw with Dundee. They spent most of the second half a man short after Nasser Djiga was sent off, so getting anything from the match meant digging deep and staying patient until the very end. It keeps them unbeaten in the early part of the season, but there’s no hiding the frustration among the fans.
First half lacks spark and delivers a few scares
The opening 45 minutes were flat. Dundee showed up with a packed defensive line of five and never looked in a hurry to open up. Rangers saw plenty of the ball but couldn’t find many gaps to work with.
Ironically, it was Dundee who came the closest. Clark Robertson rattled the crossbar twice — although one effort didn’t count because the flag went up. By the time the whistle went for halftime, Jon McCracken in the visitors’ goal hadn’t been seriously tested.
Astley’s goal and a red card flip the script
Things went from bad to worse for the hosts not long after the restart. A free kick from the left was flicked into the box, and Ryan Astley looped a header over Jack Butland to put Dundee in front. Just minutes later, Djiga’s challenge on Joe Westley, who was racing toward goal, earned him a straight red card. Suddenly, Rangers had to chase the game with ten men.
They still pushed. John Souttar went close with a header from a corner, Jefte kept trying to make things happen down the left, and Gassama took on defenders whenever he could. But Dundee stayed organized, closed the spaces, and kept clearing their lines.
Late push earns a vital equalizer
It all came down to stoppage time. Gassama was clipped inside the area, and the referee didn’t hesitate to point to the spot. Tavernier kept his cool and buried it to level the score. Moments later, Cyriel Dessers thought he’d turned the match around completely, but VAR stepped in and ruled it out, cutting short the celebrations.
The draw means Rangers remain unbeaten under Russell Martin. For Dundee, the trip north paid off with a hard-earned point, ending a long run of losses at Ibrox.