Ibrox View: What can Rangers expect when they face Dundee United?
Rangers will go into their next Scottish Premiership clash against Dundee United knowing that a win would keep them unbeaten at the top of the table.
That’s a pretty impressive feat seven games into a season, but ultimately, it would just be another small step towards the ultimate goal of usurping bitter rivals Celtic.
But what can the Gers expect at Ibrox next Saturday?
On the face of it, this should fairly open and shut.
United are languishing eighth in the table, with two wins in six.
Their stats make for promising reading too.
So far this term, Rangers have averaged an xG that is 0.96 higher than the Tangerines’, as well as having 5.31 more shots per game, as per Wyscout.
Crucially, Dundee miss chances by the bucketload.
Their xG is 0.98, but their actual goals per game is 0.67, meaning that they are scoring nearly a third of a goal less than they should be every 90 minutes.
In their last outing alone they had an xG of 1.4, but still drew a blank in a 4-0 defeat to Kilmarnock.
As the graphic above shows, these were decent chances too, with a glut of opportunities from in and around the six-yard box.
Another area that could prove to be interesting is the amount of possession that Rangers have.
The Gers have averaged 59.63% this term, but to their credit, United have managed 49.88% – a decent tally for a team with just two wins to their name.
Perhaps a more accurate measure, however, is the relatively paltry 35.98% they recorded against Celtic.
In the face of a more dominant side they crumbled a little, but there were still some signs of resolve.
After they conceded against the Hoops, Dundee managed to mount something of a resurgence, and got a lot closer to restoring parity in the possession charts over the last 15 minutes or so.
Admittedly, they still couldn’t find a breakthrough, but perhaps that grit is something that the Gers should be a little wary of next week.
In short, this is a game that Steven Gerrard will be expecting to win – and rightly so – but it may not be entirely effortless.
In other Rangers news, as Frank McAvennie claims Alfredo Morelos could upset the Ibrox dressing room if he stays.