Rangers 3-1 Dundee: 10-man hosts secure comfortable win to narrow Celtic’s Scottish Premiership lead

Philippe Clement says his Rangers side are “growing week by week” as they moved to within five points of Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic with a comfortable comeback win over Dundee despite playing the second half with 10 men.

A James Tavernier penalty and a thundering Abdallah Sima header had Rangers comfortable before Jose Cifuentes was sent off for a stamp.

The packed Ibrox stands endured some nervous moments after the break, but seventh-placed Dundee rarely looked like avoiding a 16th consecutive defeat at Ibrox.

It means Rangers head into their Europa League decider against Real Betis, then the Viaplay Cup final against Aberdeen, on the back of 13 unbeaten games, 12 under new manager Philippe Clement.

“Everyone sees in the last few weeks this team sticking together in every sense,” Clement said. “Players coming in, playing out of position and doing a job for the team.

“You can also see the physical levels of the players growing. We need to get more players fit and we need to continue to work, but if the mentality stays like this then we will take more points.”

Clement had rested stalwart centre-back Conor Goldson and emerging winger Ross McCausland as he said it would be up to others to judge whether or not he was right to make three changes over and above the two forced by injuries.

It looked like he might have to justify his decision when a superb low dive from Jack Butland denied Lyall Cameron and, from the resulting corner, the ball fell to Bakayoko for the striker to coolly slot past the Rangers goalkeeper.

The threat of a first Dundee win at Ibrox since 2001 was, however, quickly extinguished.

Much-maligned striker Dessers had been handed a start and responded with a clinical strike before Tavernier slotted another penalty, disputed by Dundee, after Aaron Donnelly had pulled Sima’s shirt.

Luke McCowan missed a good chance to draw Dundee level before Sima bulleted home a Tavernier corner for the on-loan Brighton & Hove Albion forward’s fourth goal in three games.

Dundee’s Joe Shaughnessy and Rangers’ Todd Cantwell both had goals ruled out for fouls in the build-up and an action-packed first half closed with Cifuentes being sent off for a stamp on Bakayoko.

Unless Rangers are successful in any appeal, he would miss next Sunday’s League Cup final.

Cameron was denied by a last-ditch challenge as Dundee failed to make their man advantage tell, while substitute Dujon Sterling was denied a fourth goal for the hosts by the face of the far post.

Player of the match – Abdallah Sima (Rangers)

Clement gamble pays off; stats depressing for Dundee – analysis

Before kick-off, Clement lamented the loss through injury of Danilo and Tom Lawrence as it further limits his ability to rest players during a busy schedule of 12 games in 37 days.

The Belgian nevertheless took the gamble of giving Goldson a rare rest and, despite moments of frailty and the self-inflicted wound of a red card, he can breathe easy.

Excluding penalties, Dundee had gone into the game having scored nine goals from set-pieces in the Premiership this season – three more than any other side – and it again proved to be an Achilles heel for Rangers.

Despite continuing the worrying trend of conceding first, Clement’s Rangers have averaged more points per game than any side in the Premiership since his first top-flight match in charge in October.

Having been thumped 5-0 in the reverse fixture at Dens Park, this was always going to be an uphill battle for Dundee even if they did arrive unbeaten in three away from home.

They have now lost eight in a row against Rangers – an aggregate of 22-2 – and manager Tony Docherty will be telling his players to quickly move on to more winnable games.

What they said

Rangers manager Philippe Clement: “Whoever is playing, whoever comes in, everybody’s working hard for the team. More and more players are competing – we’re going to need everybody on Thursday, on Sunday and the weeks after.

“It’s a deserved victory. Even with 10, we were the team that created the best chances in the second half. The team is growing to become a team, to have the right mentality, to do the right things together.”

Dundee manager Tony Docherty: “I have sympathy for Kevin Clancy. He no choice to give the penalty after the image he was shown on the VAR screen, but I think the two players had a hold of one another.

“Disappointment is the over-riding feeling. We started the game well, we gained territory. They then equalise – I think it was an unforced error from us, but the game turns when Rangers get awarded a penalty and I think we could have done a bit more in the second half.”

What’s next?

Rangers conclude the Europa League group stage away to Real Betis on Thursday (20:00 GMT) before facing Aberdeen in the Viaplay Cup final on 17 December, while Dundee travel to face Ross County on Saturday (15:00).