Thomas Harper looks at one of the most intriguing games in recent Scottish football memory, previewing a stuttering Rangers with clear quality in their ranks and an all-conquering Dons side who look to continue their impressive form.
One of the biggest games in the Scottish football calendar has been provided with an unnecessary boost of bite as Phillipe Clement’s Rangers travel up north to take on Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen. A win for the second placed Dons would open up a nine-point lead over the Govan side, while a win for the Gers would cut down their gap to three points.
Here’s the tale of the tape for this mouth watering fixture.
North-east momentum to continue?
Rangers will likely be up against one of the best Aberdeen teams they have faced since winning promotion to the top flight in 2015.
If you told a Dandy six months ago that they would be battling at the top end of the table with the Old Firm, they would have bitten their hand off for such a start. Fast forward to the end of October and Jimmy Thelin’s side has made that a reality, transforming a squad full of little confidence into a counter-attacking, pressing dream to watch, with the mentality of winners; continuing Peter Leven’s great caretaker momentum from the split at the end of last season. The Dons seem to grind out results in games where they do not get out of their first gear, a sign of a serious team that seems to create more and more amazing statistics to read about them.
A comeback 3-2 win at home to struggling but falsely positioned Hearts and an impressive 2-2 draw away at Celtic only confirmed to the world that they can “pass the test” against the best of the best in this league, constructing an atmosphere around the club that is only but positive, with sell outs at home looking more the more likely, reinvigorating the North East in its entirety.
Winning an average of 2.78 points, scoring an average of 2 goals per league game whilst over-performing their expected goals of 1.21, there is a clear clinical edge in this squad. When the team converts their chances, it is a clear team effort, it has been very spread out, unlike last season where talisman Bojan Miovski was their hitman. So far, fifteen players have scored a goal this season, showing an attacking threat from all areas of the park.
Where Aberdeen struggle is on defending the counter, there have been times where their high line has been exposed, leading to chance creation with some being converted and at times, Gavin Molloy has shown his inexperience as well, but has played the majority of his career in midfield, so is still adapting to his new role. Watch out for Jamie McGrath in particular, the Irishman is topping the assist charts of the Premiership with six so far.
Could the Dons do it? (I hope so)
The Gers: A perfect oppportunity
Whilst Rangers seem to be sparkling in the Europa League, domestically they are stumbling along, in their eyes under no circumstances should the mighty Gers be six points behind Aberdeen, but that is their reality at the moment, if the Govan side beat Aberdeen, they will cut down that lead to three points. While there are nerves in the south-west of Glasgow, if they beat Aberdeen on Wednesday they will go into their League Cup semi final against Motherwell this weekend on top of the world, beating a rival in the form of a lifetime will not only just galvanise the squad, but a support that is growing increasingly tired of the drama and shenanigans as of late.
It will be intriguing to find out how former Don Connor Barron performs, as the 22-year-old has impressed at times for Rangers and for Scotland’s under-21s. Will he crack under a certainly hostile sold out Pittodrie? Or will the midfielder be dropped? The attacking threat is less spread out than their opponents on Wednesday with only nine players spreading out their output this season so far, with Wolfsburg loanee Václav Cerny topping their goal charts with six goals, with surprisingly Tom Lawrence breaking out into being a star so far this season with five goals just behind him.
Rangers on average earn 2.11 points per game, despite a perfect home record at Hampden/Ibrox their away record has been suspect, only winning once on their travels against Dundee United at Tannadice, but have drawn twice and lost to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, continuing an awful recent trend of their performances in Ayrshire and Killies great run of 7 wins out of 13 when playing them at home. When watching this team play you cannot help but notice one glaring issue, their style of play, not even the players know what they are meant to be doing in this team.
But if individuals such as perennial scorer against Aberdeen James Tavernier, Mohamed Diomande and even Tom Lawrence, the Dons would have a task on their hands tomorrow evening.
