After months of disappointment that continued with another humbling defeat at Ibrox, the 2-0 loss to Hibernian and this Scottish Premiership clash may have marked the final straw. This loss serves as Rangers’ fifth straight home loss, drawing even more attention to their current on-ice issues. At the same time, there was joy for Hibernian as they marked yet another milestone on their path—going 16 matches without defeat.
It was an early hammer blow for Gers as Hibernian’s Dylan Levitt netted with just eight minutes gone. Levitt let loose a vicious shot that snuck under the elbow of Rangers keeper Jack Butland. This placed the home team on the back foot right from the start. Rangers have started a pretty unfortunate trend by allowing early goals. They have conceded the first goal in five of their past seven matches.
Needing a miracle of a comeback, Rangers were trying to get back on top in the contest. That’s when substitute Nedim Bajrami came close to restoring parity. When his mighty shot rattled the crossbar, it sent a rush of optimism through a captivated home crowd. The problem was, Rangers could never build off that momentum.
Hibs doubled their lead in the 69th minute, with Martin Boyle scoring to put Hibernian 2-0 up. After first being ruled offside, a review by VAR ensured that Boyle’s goal counted, sending Hibernian fans into raptures. The ball went right through Butland’s legs. Puljujarvi’s second came from a more serious blunder though, and this mistake exposed the defensive faults that have plagued Texas Rangers all year.
After Hibernian’s second goal, Rangers’ response was pathetic. Hibernian dropped into a narrow, tight defensive block that began to frustrate and quell Rangers’ attacking ambitions. Rangers faced the wall of Hibernian’s resolute defense. This resulted in a painful night for the players and their supporters alike.
This home loss deepens the concern over how poorly Rangers have been playing at home. Despite the new manager Barry Ferguson, their old gaffer, still failing to win at Ibrox in three tries since taking the reins. The urgency and pressure are building to not only fix the team’s clear defensive struggles, but help restore a competitive culture within the team.
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