Rangers rally to start Scottish Premiership season with win

Issued on: 30/07/2022 – 15:24Modified: 30/07/2022 – 15:22

Glasgow (AFP) – Rangers needed two goals in the final 16 minutes from Scott Arfield and James Tavernier to start their Scottish Premiership season with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Livingston on Saturday.

The Europa League finalists trailed just five minutes into the new campaign when Joel Nouble lofted the ball over Jon McLaughlin.

Rangers started with three debutants in John Souttar, Tom Lawrence and Antonio Colak, but it was not until the introduction of another new signing Malik Tillman at half-time that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men began to make their dominance of possession count.

Colak had a goal harshly ruled out for offside with VAR not set to debut in the Scottish top flight until later this season.

Rangers finally levelled on 74 minutes when Arfield guided a header into the far corner from Ryan Kent’s cross.

Just two minutes later, Tavernier struck the winner in style with a free-kick that curled into the top corner.

Celtic begin their defence of the Scottish Premiership on Sunday when the Hoops host Aberdeen.

© 2022 AFP