Rangers leapfrogged Celtic to move second in the Scottish Premiership with a compelling 4-1 win over lowly Aberdeen.
With leaders Hearts winning earlier on Saturday, it was vital that Danny Röhl’s side showed their appetite for the title fight by responding with three points of their own. Despite a slow start, the ideal result was hardly in doubt.
Tochi Chukwuani broke the deadlock with his first league goal in the 35th minute, striking from a rebound off Mikey Moore’s initial effort. The Spurs loanee ran the show in midfield, making good on his side’s dominance with a wonderfully composed finish shortly after the break.
Mikey Moore was one of Rangers’ standout players
Dennis Geiger then had a go at bringing some jeopardy to the occasion but the threat was all too brief. The Dons scored their first away goal of 2026 after Rangers were sloppy at the back, only to concede a game-ending third 10 minutes later – their dangerous slide continuing in difficult fashion.
With all Aberdeen defenders static from the second phase of a set-play, Nicolas Raskin lashed inside the far post, before James Tavernier curled a sumptuous free-kick beyond a despairing Dimitar Mitov late on. The anxiousness around Ibrox was dispelled long before Tavernier’s stoppage-time stunner, with title talk as loud and persuasive as it’s been all season.
Rangers extend their unbeaten run to 14 league games, picking up more points than any other since Christmas, and are well placed to go the distance in this fascinating three-way tussle for the Scottish Premiership title.
Röhl: Seven finals to go
Rangers head coach Danny Rohl was delighted with the win over Aberdeen
Rangers head coach Danny Röhl on Premier Sports:
“We spoke before the game about performance and result and today we brought both together. Fully deserved, we dominated the 90 minutes in all of the phases of the game. If we want to criticise we could speak about what happened after we went 2-0 up…
“But I’m proud of this performance. We played with a lot of energy. From the first minute, we were very organised, very aggressive against the ball, we scored great goals. We tried until the end to score more goals and this is what we want to see.
“Now, seven finals to go. We don’t need opponents at the moment to be sharp. I think we are very clear what we need. We need seven wins and if we take seven wins then we have a big opportunity. It is a long way but we have made the first two steps with two wins.
“This team has everything to win seven games, there is no question mark. We don’t just have a strong starting 11, we have a strong bench at the moment. If we bring our intensity and our style of football again and again then it is tough to play against us. Today we made a good step but there is still a long way to go.
“It is always important to take the next three points. It is not about Celtic or Hearts, it is about us. If we do our job then we have a great opportunity.”
Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson has told his players they are in a relegation scrap
Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson on Premier Sports:
“If you concede goals like that then you are not going to win football matches and that’s the reason we are where we are. We didn’t get ourselves a chance after half-time. For 30 minutes we were solid, we frustrated them and then you come out in the second half and concede a really poor goal. The only goal that was a really good goal was Tavernier’s with the free-kick. Way too easy, it has been the story of the season.
“It’s not acceptable for Aberdeen Football Club to let goals in that easy as a collective. People can run forward quicker than they can run back and that has to change. A few home truths tonight and there has to be, maybe it should have been done six months ago. There is certainly talent there but we have to have the same desire to run back and defend and put our bodies on the line as we do running forward.
“You can’t kid anybody now. We are in a situation where you have to fight and scrap and you cannot concede goals like that. The reality is we are in a dogfight and that’s been told tonight and people have to react to that.
“I knew there was going to be a relegation fight – you don’t get the job if they are flying high. The excuses are gone, people need to step up now. Aberdeen Football Club doesn’t owe anybody – they owe Aberdeen and all of us do to make sure we fight to get ourselves out of this position before we reset anything for next year. The club has been very good to this group of players and it is time to repay that and the fans.”
