Matchday two Scottish Premiership
Rangers vs Livingston 12/08/23
Rangers team news –
RANGERS: Butland, Tavernier, Balogun, Souttar, Barisic, Raskin, Cifuentes, Cantwell, Lammers, Dessers, Danilo.
Subs: McCrorie, Lundstram, Hagi, Matondo, Sima, Dowell, Sterling, Roofe, King.
First half action
3 mins – Danilo snap shot over, better build up.
10 mins – GOOOAAAALLLL! Cantwell drives into the box and fires goal wards, it’s saved but Lammers thrashes in the rebound. 1-0 Rangers!
19 mins – Should be two, scramble in the box and Souttar fires over, was a decent chance. 1-0
21 mins – SHOT FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX! My word, an anomaly at Ibrox but Cifuentes shot is tipped wide! great effort!
Gooaalll! From the corner Cifuentes leathers home! DISALLOWED! VAR check rules it out for handball. Remains 1-0
45 mins – Dessers heads over Tavernier cross. 1-0
Half time score Rangers 1 Livingston 0
Second half action
46 mins – Smart build up and Barisic cross is headed wide by Lammers. Good play by Rangers.
50 mins – Rangers break and Danilo cutting in from left and his shot is well saved, Dessers keeps it in and then his ball goes all across face of goal. Should be 2-0.
54 mins – Livi corner and Butland pulls off a smart save from a scramble.
54 mins – Again Butland full stretch to his left a terrific save to keep Rangers ahead.
64 mins – What a tackle by Souttar to stop a cross, Rangers living on the edge at times. Second goal needed.
68 mins – Chance! Danilo turns Cifuentes whipped cross over, again another opportunity squandered.
70 mins – SUBS – OFF Lammers, Dessers, ON Matondo, Sima
75 mins – Cifuentes drive at goalkeeper.
CHANCE! Sima in but fires at goal keeper!
80 mins – GOALLLL! Barisic whipped cross and Danilo heads down and in! 2-0! Little bit of relief in that goal!
Subs – OFF Raskin, Cantwell, Cifuentes ON Lundstram, Dowell, Sterling
84 mins – GOOOAAAALLLL! Sima rattles in a third from a corner, Danilo had hit the post before he fired in rebound. 3-0
88 mins – Matondo Caution 📒
89 mins – GOOOAAALLL! What a cracker from Dowell as he starts and ends the move with a beauty of a finish! 4-0 Rangers!
Full Time score Rangers 4 Livingston 0
Summary – Rangers much more like it in the first, a good tempo and a nice opening goal after great work from Cantwell. His shot saved but fired in by Lammers. Rangers dominated but couldn’t add a second, they had the ball in the net but second was chopped after a VAR handball decision.
In the second, in was more nervous. Jack Butland with two good saves on 55 mins kept Livi out as they had a ten minute spell but the changes made the difference. Matondo and Sima stretched Livi, Danilo better in the middle and the goals came.
When they did they were excellent. Dowell the pick of the bunch with an absolute thunderous strike.
A good day for Rangers, would have been great if second had come earlier but all in all a good day.
Attendance – 49320
Four Lads Had A Dream 
The way I’m reading the match reports rangers were not at their best but still managed to record a good win with four good goals. If rangers can keep this up and continue to gel and improve then it gives confidence as time passes. We have two huge tests coming quickly, away in Europe, then them from across the city at home. Win these two and it augers well for the rest of the season, lose them and it’s back to the drawing board. C’mon the rangers.
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