Chris Sutton stunned by what he saw Mohamed Diomande do vs Motherwell: ‘It’s brilliant, exceptional’
Mohamed Diomande received special praise from Celtic legend Chris Sutton for his role in Rangers’ opener at Motherwell.
Rangers went into their crucial Scottish Premiership clash with Motherwell on Wednesday night off the back of a thumping 8-0 win over Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup on Sunday.
However, the Ibrox outfit knew Motherwell would offer a much sterner test, with the Steelmen boasting the league’s meanest defence.
It didn’t take long for Danny Rohl’s side to unlock their rear-guard, when, after six minutes, Diomande played a key role in Nicolas Raskin’s opener at Fir Park.
And former Chelsea striker Sutton could not contain his appreciation for Diomande’s quality assist to silence the home fans.
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Mohamed Diomande leads by example for Rangers opener
Early in the contest, Rangers winger Diomande skipped clear of Motherwell’s midfield with ease as he bore down on goal.
The Ivory Coast international, 24, then had the wherewithal to get his head up and thread a deft pass between Motherwell’s central defenders, which put it on a plate for Raskin.
Despite his loyalties to Rangers’ bitter rivals Celtic, Sutton was full of praise for Diomande, saying his efforts were “brilliant” and Raskin’s run was “exceptional”.
He said on Sky Sports Main Event: “It’s brilliant from Diomande. Initially, he lets the ball run across his body beautifully. Gotta say, the recovery run from [Callum] Slattery isn’t impressive at all. But Raskin is really alert to that.
“He just drives inside [Stephen] O’Donnell, the timing of his run is exceptional. The pace of the pass is exceptional. He has a little look up, and then he swats it past Callum Warren.
“It’s a really composed finish. Just the start Rangers wanted. There’s the little look. Commits himself, he finds it.”
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Rangers enjoy ‘electric’ start to in bid to keep pressure on Hearts
Rangers headed into this game knowing that they, realistically, had to beat Motherwell after Hearts’ 1-0 win over rivals Hibernian on Tuesday.
That victory took the league’s surprise package six points clear at the top of the table, but Rangers can close that gap back to three with a win on their travels.
And the Gers were able to make a fast start at Motherwell, with former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson thrilled with their start.
He said on BBC Sportsound: “It’s been an electric start. Motherwell could have taken the lead but it’s Rangers on the break.
“What a lovely weight of pass. The timing of the run, Raskin did not panic, he just picked his spot down to the keeper’s left-hand side.“
Fans on social media were also quick to praise Diomande’s moment of class.
After this match, Rangers face an even bigger clash with leaders Hearts at Ibrox on Sunday. If results go their way, they could end the weekend at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Not many would have predicted that when they were eighth and 10 points off Hearts back in October.
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