Rangers made a comeback in the second half to complete a 2-1 victory over Livingston in their opening fixture of the Scottish Premiership 2022/23 season. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men conceded a goal inside the first five minutes of the match. They remained calm in their approach and kept the ball. Rangers were unable to score a goal in the first half, and it took them 72 minutes to score their first goal of the campaign. The next goal came just two minutes after the first was scored. This comeback win gives them the momentum they need for the rest of the season.
Livingston started in a 4-5-1 formation, with goalscorer Joel Nouble leading the attack. They played in the same formation for 82% of the game. Livingston operated with three central midfielders, and Sean Kelly played a defensive midfielder role. Andrew Shinnie and Scott Pitman worked on the wings for the home side.
On the other hand, the Rangers started the match in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The new signings, John Souttar, Tom Lawrence and Antonio Colak, were named in the starting XI by the Dutch manager. Rangers played in the same formation for 67% of the time and then played in a more attacking formation of 4-1-4-1 for the remainder of the match. Scott Arfield and James Tavernier were on the scoresheet for the Gers.
The above viz shows some of the stats from the match. Rangers had 79.4% of the ball possession and attempted 721 passes with an accuracy rate of 88.9%. Van Bronckhorst’s men attempted 17 shots, and six were on target. Livingston’s players attempted only 115 passes and attempted five shots in the match. Rangers players also made more recoveries and even had a high duel win percentage. Overall, the Gers dominated the match and were rewarded for their efforts on the pitch.
Rangers captain James Tavernier continued his goal-scoring form from last season and grabbed the winner for his side. The right-back was involved in 112 actions and had a success rate of 81.3%. He attempted five shots in the match with a 60% shot accuracy rate. Tavernier stayed high up on the field and created chances for his teammates by delivering crosses and passes into the opposition’s penalty box. He also intercepted the ball five times and recovered it ten times. Overall, the player once again showed his brilliance on the pitch.
Ryan Kent was once again in the mix of the action. He provided his first assist of the season. Kent failed to score a goal as he failed to convert the three shots he attempted towards the opposition goal. Other than this, he also created constant threats by delivering passes into the open penalty box.
Joel Nouble scored the first goal of the season just five minutes into the game. He attempted two shots in the match and scored with the only shot on target. The 26-year-old will play a key role in the season up ahead.
Rangers had to work hard to earn three points in their first game. They kept the ball and created continuous chances that helped them to create an opening in the latter stages of the match. They will look to take this momentum into the next game. Livingston, on the other hand, will look to score more goals and finish this season in the top half of the table.
Visuals via Wyscout
