Motherwell 1-1 Rangers

Longelo 87′ , Tavernier 14′

Rangers dropped points for the 3rd straight opening league fixture after a spirited Motherwell comeback

Following an entertaining 2-2 draw between Kilmarnock and Livingston, Fir Park was the venue for the 2nd match of the season.

It was the away side who started quicker, enjoying the better of the opening exchanges. James Tavernier was the first to test the Motherwell goal, unleashing a whipped free-kick that Calum Ward comfortably gathered. A slick passing move soon followed, with Raskin linking up neatly with Danilo, who then laid the ball off to Gassama. While Gassama’s strike showed promise it lacked the necessary curl to trouble the keeper. Danilo was next to try his luck, but his powerful shot on the edge of the box clipped the crossbar.

Rangers’ early pressure deservedly paid off in the 13th minute, summer signing Joe Rothwell’s inviting corner was met by the leaping James Tavernier. The club captain is entering his 11th season for the Ibrox side and will look to remain a key cog for the upcoming campaign.

Jens Berthel Askou is aiming to implement a new footballing philosophy at Fir Park as his side played out from the back at every opportunity. While this ambitious approach led to them losing possession on occasion, there were positive signs for the new manager. Their best chance arrived in the 22nd minute when Jack Butland spilt Emmanuel Longelo’s tame effort, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos pounced on the rebound, but his close-range effort was blocked.

Rangers maintained their sustained pressure for the remainder of the first half, racking up eight corners in the process. Despite their dominance, they were unable to register any further clear-cut chances.

Motherwell seized control of the second half’s opening exchanges. Calum Slattery delivered a whipped free-kick that eluded Jack Butland, but Elijah Just was unable to direct his header towards goal. Slattery then drove effectively at the defence, sliding a ball through to Stamatelopoulos, only for Djiga to make a crucial block.

Paul McGinn, captaining the home side for the first time since January, then forced a low save from Jack Butland after finding space inside the box.

Rangers manager Russell Martin responded with tactical changes after the hour mark, bringing on Cyriel Dessers and Lyall Cameron. The latter was making his debut and nearly made an immediate impact when the ball fell kindly to him on the edge of the box, but his driven shot was comfortably saved by Calum Ward.

Motherwell’s persistent pressure culminated in a deserved equaliser in the 87th minute. Elijah Just chested the ball down to Emmanuel Longelo in the box, who then drilled a low finish into the corner. Askou’s side were impressive for much of the second half, clearly trusting their manager’s style of play and consistently creating scoring opportunities.

Rangers increased their tempo after conceding. They linked play well on the right, though Bajrami’s subsequent cross was cleared. Motherwell had a final chance to win the game when a through ball put Tom Sparrow in space, but Jack Butland got down well to make the crucial stop.

Overall, the game was a brilliant spectacle – frantic, high-tempo, and with the occasional error. Russell Martin’s Rangers showed promise in the first half but visibly struggled in the second. There is work to be done if they are to close the gap on Celtic, especially with a UEFA Champions League third-round qualifier against Viktoria Plzen scheduled for Tuesday. The Steelmen can take significant positives from their second-half performance as they prepare for their next league fixture away to St Mirren next weekend.

Motherwell: Ward, Koutroumbis, Gordon (O’Donnell 71’), McGinn, Longelo, Watt, Slattery (Slattery 90’), Maswanhise, Just (Balmer 90’), Fadinger, Stamatelopoulos (Said 79’)

Bookings: Watt 60’

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Djiga, Souttar, Aarons, Rothwell (Barron 73’), Diomande (Cameron 63’), Raskin (Bajrami 73’), Dowell, Gassama, Danilo (Dessers 63’)

Bookings: Cameron 65’ Aarons 90’ Tavernier 90+2’

Attendance 10,616