Scottish Premiership
RangersRangers2Dundee UtdDundee United0

Rangers 2-0 Dundee United: Malik Tillman double downs bottom club

By Martin WattBBC Scotland
Malik Tillman netted the opener to break United's resistance shortly before half-time
Malik Tillman netted the opener to break United's resistance shortly before half-time

Rangers manager Michael Beale is "positive" about the prospects of keeping Malik Tillman beyond summer after the on-loan midfielder delivered another reminder of his talents in victory over Dundee United.

Tillman netted either side of half-time at Ibrox to secure Rangers' 10th straight Scottish Premiership win and trim the gap to six points on leaders Celtic, who face Ross County on Sunday.

Rangers are in talks with Bayern Munich to activate the clause for a permanent deal for the 20-year-old.

Tillman, who has netted 12 for Rangers this season, says he is "enjoying my football and will "see what happens in the summer" regarding his future.

Beale has "never felt" the player does not want to be at Ibrox next term, adding: "There is an option there that we can take but the player has a say too and so does the club that he is at.

"It is not a part of the negotiations I am involved in but I am fully up to speed with it. There were more talks over the international break as well.

"Everything at the moment is positive. Me and Malik have a fantastic relationship and I think he really enjoys playing here."

Goalkeeper Allan McGregor crowned his 500th Rangers appearance with a clean sheet and was seldom troubled by bottom club United whose winless league run now extends to 11 matches.

Jim Goodwin's side remain two points adrift of County, while third-bottom Kilmarnock now have a six-point cushion over United after beating Hearts.

Beale had called on Rangers to deliver a marquee home performance and show more ruthlessness after noting the best displays of his tenure have all come away, where his side are afforded more space.

Had Rangers made more of their glut of second-half chances, this could have been the showing he craved.

United did a commendable job of frustrating Rangers for much of the opening half, and even showed glimpses of menace at the other end.

Peter Pawlett burrowed his way clear on goal, but elected to pass rather than shoot and succeeded only in hitting a defender. The lively winger limped off with a hamstring tweak a few minutes later, summing up his injury-ravaged recent fortunes.

Craig Sibbald also had the home fans restless with a swerving strike that missed the postage stamp by inches, but Tillman brought calm to Ibrox by finishing off a well-crafted opener.

Todd Cantwell, off balance on the edge of the United box, brilliantly diverted Connor Goldson's pass into Tillman's path and he drilled past Mark Birighitti.

Ryan Kent rattled the bar from distance but the second goal was not long in coming as United States international Tillman rifled a shot straight through Scott McMann and Birighitti, who not for the first time this term should have done better.

The Australian partly redeemed himself with a number saves - the most eye-catching to deny James Tavernier - as Rangers failed to add to their lead amid opportunities for Tillman, Alfredo Morelos, Borna Barisic and Antonio Colak.

McGregor's exacting standards mean a concession on his landmark appearance will not have gone down well, and the 41-year-old ensured the clean sheet with a late stop from United substitute Mathew Cudjoe.

Player of the match - Malik Tillman

Creativity and cutting edge combined from Rangers' top performer. Tillman scored two of his four shots and his crossing and incisive passing also stood out
Creativity and cutting edge combined from Rangers' top performer. Tillman scored two of his four shots and his crossing and incisive passing also stood out

Rangers keep rolling as United keep score down - analysis

Rangers kept up their momentum for next week's trip to Celtic Park, which is effectively a last-ditch attempt to keep the title race alive.

Beale remains unbeaten in the league - with 13 wins from 14 - while Rangers' run of 10 straight victories is their best winning league run since January 2021.

They can't afford to be so profligate against Celtic, though, as the scoreline didn't fully reflect their superiority over United.

The Tannadice men will be relieved to get this one out of the way and focus on more winnable fixtures in their survival battle.

While United made a promising start, they too often gave the ball straight back to Rangers and Steven Fletcher couldn't make it stick up front.

Once the goals went in, it became a damage limitation job and United gamely kept the score down. The positivity Goodwin has instilled in his early reign won't be chipped away by this defeat and it's now eight games left to try to preserve their Premiership status.

What they said

Rangers manager Michael Beale: "Delighted with the result. The performance in moments was really good, I just wish we'd scored more goals when the chances came.

"That's a mixture of good goalkeeping and being slightly unlucky. After two weeks off I saw what I needed to see from my team today."

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin: "Extremely disappointed to lose. The players put a lot into it and we didn't lose through lack of effort or commitment, but we lacked that little bit of quality you need when you turn over possession.

"We didn't put enough passes together at key moments and weren't ruthless enough with the few opportunities that did come our way."

What's next?

Rangers head across Glasgow to face Old Firm rivals Celtic in a top-of-the-table Premiership showdown next Saturday (12:30 BST), while Dundee United host Hibernian the following day (12:00).

Line-ups

Rangers

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1McGregor
  • 2TavernierBooked at 51minsSubstituted forWrightat 73'minutes
  • 6Goldson
  • 26Davies
  • 31Barisic
  • 4Lundstram
  • 8JackSubstituted forSouttarat 85'minutes
  • 13CantwellSubstituted forArfieldat 85'minutes
  • 71TillmanSubstituted forColakat 85'minutes
  • 14Kent
  • 20MorelosSubstituted forSakalaat 73'minutes

Substitutes

  • 3Yilmaz
  • 9Colak
  • 16Souttar
  • 17Matondo
  • 18Kamara
  • 23Wright
  • 30Sakala
  • 33McLaughlin
  • 37Arfield

Dundee Utd

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 1Birighitti
  • 27Ayina
  • 12Edwards
  • 3McMannSubstituted forNiskanenat 76'minutesBooked at 89mins
  • 22Freeman
  • 14Sibbald
  • 23Harkes
  • 16BehichSubstituted forAnim Cudjoeat 82'minutes
  • 8PawlettSubstituted forFotheringhamat 22'minutes
  • 18McGrath
  • 9FletcherSubstituted forAnakuat 76'minutes

Substitutes

  • 6Graham
  • 7Niskanen
  • 10Djoum
  • 20Anaku
  • 25Fotheringham
  • 28Anim Cudjoe
  • 31Newman
  • 39Thomson
  • 42O'Donnell
Referee:
Don Robertson
Attendance:
49,969

Match Stats

Home TeamRangersAway TeamDundee Utd
Possession
Home77%
Away23%
Shots
Home28
Away9
Shots on Target
Home7
Away4
Corners
Home10
Away2
Fouls
Home11
Away8

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Rangers 2, Dundee United 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Rangers 2, Dundee United 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt saved. Mathew Anim Cudjoe (Dundee United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.

  4. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Jamie McGrath (Dundee United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  5. Post update

    Foul by John Lundstram (Rangers).

  6. Post update

    Jamie McGrath (Dundee United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  7. Booking

    Ilmari Niskanen (Dundee United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  8. Post update

    Scott Arfield (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Ilmari Niskanen (Dundee United).

  10. Post update

    Foul by John Souttar (Rangers).

  11. Post update

    Kai Fotheringham (Dundee United) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  12. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Antonio-Mirko Colak (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Borna Barisic with a cross.

  13. Post update

    Attempt missed. Antonio-Mirko Colak (Rangers) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Scott Wright with a cross.

  14. Substitution

    Substitution, Rangers. Scott Arfield replaces Todd Cantwell.

  15. Substitution

    Substitution, Rangers. John Souttar replaces Ryan Jack.

  16. Substitution

    Substitution, Rangers. Antonio-Mirko Colak replaces Malik Tillman.

  17. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Ryan Kent (Rangers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Fashion Sakala.

  18. Post update

    Attempt missed. Connor Goldson (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Borna Barisic with a cross following a corner.

  19. Post update

    Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Ilmari Niskanen.

  20. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Fashion Sakala (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ryan Kent.

Player of the match

TillmanMalik Tillman

with an average of 6.91

Rangers

  1. Squad number71Player nameTillman
    Average rating

    6.91

  2. Squad number30Player nameSakala
    Average rating

    6.64

  3. Squad number23Player nameWright
    Average rating

    6.55

  4. Squad number9Player nameColak
    Average rating

    6.45

  5. Squad number13Player nameCantwell
    Average rating

    6.39

  6. Squad number14Player nameKent
    Average rating

    6.38

  7. Squad number2Player nameTavernier
    Average rating

    6.30

  8. Squad number37Player nameArfield
    Average rating

    6.28

  9. Squad number8Player nameJack
    Average rating

    6.25

  10. Squad number26Player nameDavies
    Average rating

    6.17

  11. Squad number16Player nameSouttar
    Average rating

    6.16

  12. Squad number6Player nameGoldson
    Average rating

    6.10

  13. Squad number31Player nameBarisic
    Average rating

    6.08

  14. Squad number1Player nameMcGregor
    Average rating

    6.06

  15. Squad number4Player nameLundstram
    Average rating

    5.92

  16. Squad number20Player nameMorelos
    Average rating

    5.69

Dundee United

  1. Squad number14Player nameSibbald
    Average rating

    6.04

  2. Squad number27Player nameAyina
    Average rating

    6.02

  3. Squad number9Player nameFletcher
    Average rating

    5.98

  4. Squad number23Player nameHarkes
    Average rating

    5.92

  5. Squad number16Player nameBehich
    Average rating

    5.90

  6. Squad number18Player nameMcGrath
    Average rating

    5.86

  7. Squad number3Player nameMcMann
    Average rating

    5.86

  8. Squad number12Player nameEdwards
    Average rating

    5.76

  9. Squad number8Player namePawlett
    Average rating

    5.63

  10. Squad number25Player nameFotheringham
    Average rating

    5.62

  11. Squad number1Player nameBirighitti
    Average rating

    5.53

  12. Squad number22Player nameFreeman
    Average rating

    5.45

  13. Squad number7Player nameNiskanen
    Average rating

    4.23

  14. Squad number20Player nameAnaku
    Average rating

    3.96

  15. Squad number28Player nameAnim Cudjoe
    Average rating

    3.79

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As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Celtic29271193217282
2Rangers30244274274776
3Hearts30136115045545
4Aberdeen30142144752-544
5St Mirren30118113442-841
6Hibernian30124144649-340
7Livingston30116133147-1639
8Motherwell3096153945-633
9St Johnstone3095163349-1632
10Kilmarnock3077162652-2628
11Ross County2966172543-1824
12Dundee Utd3057183056-2622
View full Scottish Premiership table

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