View: Solid Helander display v Kilmarnock helps Rangers equal 91-year record
Rangers equalled a 91-year record for the longest run without conceding a goal at the start of a Scottish top-flight by beating Kilmarnock 2-0 on Saturday.
Second-half goals by Kemar Roofe and Ryan Kent were enough to secure all three points at Ibrox and while they will take the plaudits for fine attacking displays, it was the solid defensive performance of Filip Helander that we were impressed with the most.
Helander, 27, partnered Connor Goldson at the heart of Steven Gerrard’s defence on Saturday with Leon Balogun still injured.
Balogun’s absence is not expected to last too long but Helander’s rock-solid displays in the last two matches suggest that Gerrard does not need to make any changes to his back-line any time soon.
According to stats by WyScout, Helander won 18 recoveries against Kilmarnock on Saturday.
The Sweden international also won 75 per cent of loose ball duels, 71 per cent of aerial duels, completed one interception and cleared the ball three times.
Helander also impressed on the ball too by completing 90 per cent of the passes he attempted and finding his target with two of the three long-range passes he played.
But it was the Swede’s off-the-ball display that’s worth talking about the most as in one moment in the first half, he did brilliantly to read Kilmarnock’s decision to spring a quick counter-attack to cut the attack dead just as it reached the halfway line.
In the image below, you can see how Helander knows he isn’t the fastest of defenders so he positions himself so that he can win the race for the ball out of the Killie defence.
Knowing he has Goldson covering, Helander sticks a foot in to guide the ball towards his defensive partner with a well-timed challenge.
Helander has proven that he can provide a way out of the defensive third for Rangers with his range of passing but he’s also shown that he can help tighten up the defence and really clamp down on conceding attacking opportunities.
In the last two Scottish Premiership matches where Helander has started, Rangers have conceded just four shots at goal and only one shot on target.
The solid Swede’s performances have been central to that.
In other Rangers news, Roofe’s display versus Killie heralds the changing of the guard.