Rangers’ first competitive match under new manager Michael Beale on Thursday ended in victory as they twice came from behind to beat Hibernian 3-2 at Ibrox.
Alfredo Morelos’ goal shortly after the hour mark sealed a win that left Rangers six points behind leaders and archrivals Celtic, with the reigning Scottish Premiership champions who are in action away to Aberdeen today.
Hibs defender Ryan Porteous — linked with a move to Rangers — broke the deadlock just eight minutes in with a header from a corner.
Photo: Reuters
Fashion Sakala drew Rangers level in the 15th minute, only for Hibs striker Kevin Nisbet to regain the lead for the Edinburgh club moments later.
Ryan Jack drew Rangers level in the 58th minute and four minutes later Morelos tapped in the winner.
“We had a nice chat at halftime, and said to take the emotion out the game and play the game for what it was,” Beale told the BBC. “The reality that hit me tonight is there’s a lot of anxiety to get through, but the character of the team is good and we dominated in the second half, and we deserved to win the game.”
Beale spent three years at Rangers as a member of Steven Gerrard’s coaching team and then followed the Liverpool great to Aston Villa.
He then took charge of English Championship club Queens Park Rangers for just 22 games before, controversially, returning to Glasgow after Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked.
Hibs went ahead when Porteous powered in a close-range header after getting on the end of Joe Newell’s inswinging corner.
Porteous almost doubled the lead with a shot that just cleared the crossbar, but Rangers equalized when Ryan Kent squared to Sakala inside the penalty area with the forward’s low drive beating Hibs goalkeeper David Marshall.
Rangers fans were still celebrating that goal when Nisbet raced on to a Marijan Cabraja pass before unleashing a powerful shot high past Allan McGregor to restore Hibs’ lead.
The hosts were indebted to veteran goalkeeper McGregor when he saved well with his legs to deny Elie Youan a goal shortly before halftime.
An improved Rangers capitalized on McGregor’s good work when, following a flick on from a corner by Malik Tillman, Jack scored from close range.
Minutes later, Tillman turned provider again, his clever run into the penalty area and cutback giving Morelos a simple finish from close range before an increasingly assured Rangers saw out the game.
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