Rangers 2-0 Ross County: Tavernier and Barker lead the hosts

Captain James Tavernier’s eighth goal in as many games helped the Rangers to victory against Ross County and returned them to the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Substitute Brandon Barker then rounded off the victory with a good individual effort, with the only handicap being left-back Borna Barisic’s injury.

The victory puts the Rangers one point ahead of Celtic, having played one more game.

Glasgow’s rivals will meet after the international break in Old Firm’s first game of the season.

After an impressive win against Galatasaray on Thursday that secured a third consecutive season in the Europa League group stage, Steven Gerrard spoke of the importance of having something tangible to celebrate at the end of the season.

It reflected the primacy of national soccer for the Rangers, as their goal is to prevent Celtic from winning a historic 10th consecutive title.

With Jon McLaughlin back in goal and Ryan Jack making his first start after recovering from a calf injury, the hosts had to bounce back after a positive start from County.

And it was Tavernier’s influence high up on the field that got his team started, as he threw a ball towards Morelos, which was hit by Donaldson, before placing the resulting penalty in the middle.

From then on, the game played out as expected as the Rangers created more opportunities, while the county did its best to stay in the competition.

Ryan Kent and Morelos had long-range efforts that were close before the break, before the Colombian came over the bar once Glen Kamara played through the second half.

Centrals Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun put their efforts over the bar after good deliveries from the corners.

After defending admirably to stay in the game, County came close to drawing the tie with just over 10 minutes to go when Donaldson got up unmarked in the area, only to head for the roof of the net.

The fourth quarter was more open and frantic than Gerrard would have liked, but his team ultimately scored a major victory when Barker scooped the ball to the right of the area before cutting through two county defenders to shoot low at the net.

Man of the match – James Tavernier

What did we learn?

Tavernier’s performance underscored his importance to the Rangers. The club captain, sometimes the target of criticism in recent campaigns, appears to be playing with the shackles this season.

He was everywhere, often popping up in the central areas as well as his usual right side, bringing his quality with the ball to bear as the Rangers sought more goals. The Englishman has not been put to the test on defense, but he has not been wrong so far this season.

The county performed admirably on defense when many would have predicted more Rangers goals, but its lack of threat hampered its chances of scoring points, particularly after Donaldson’s early mistake.

Whats Next?

Following the international break, the Rangers travel through Glasgow to face rivals Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the season, while Ross County opens its League Cup campaign against League One’s Montrose on Wednesday. .