The Gers had to come back from a one-goal deficit in midweek to secure a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock, and they conceded an early goal once again today, as Motherwell drew first blood. Philippe Clement’s men had plenty of chances to grab an equaliser in the first half, but failed to do so and another big team talk was required. James Tavernier scored a trademark penalty after an effort by Cyriel Dessers was ruled out, yet the Steelmen scored with 15 minutes remaining, and they secured all three points in Glasgow. The defence has been rock solid in recent months, but both John Souttar and Connor Goldson were off it today. Goldson and Souttar were bullied by Motherwell attacker Theo Blair throughout the encounter, with the forward opening the scoring in the first ten minutes. Between them, the duo lost possession 25 times throughout the match and never truly looked comfortable as Well had a solid grip on the game, especially during the latter stages.
It was not just the defence which let Clement down, however, as the club had more than enough chances to win the tie but could not convert several excellent chances. Once again, it was Dessers who missed various opportunities in front of goal and while he may have 16 goals this term, he has also missed 20 big chances in the top flight, which explains everything. The Nigerian striker was recalled to the starting XI in place of Fabio Silva from the midweek win, and despite looking keen to make an impact, he failed to create any meaningful chances for either himself or the team. Not only that, but he also made fewer passes than Jack Butland, completing just 11 during his time on the pitch (Butland made 12) along with failing to get a shot on target, succeeding with zero dribble attempts, taking just 29 touches and winning only one duel. It was another dismal performance for a player who was expected to score goals aplenty for the Light Blues, but when the pressure was on, Dessers failed to turn up. The 29-year-old also had a goal ruled out due to him straying offside, which occurred three times during the contest, and if the Gers are going to win the league this term, they need to find someone who leads the line more effectively. There were always going to be bumps in the road during the final few months of the season and the fact that Rangers are still in a title race proves how well Clement has dragged the Gers back from the doldrums. Motherwell were better than the Ibrox side this afternoon, no doubt about that. The question now is, how will the squad respond when they face Benfica on Thursday evening
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