Steven Gerrard’s side were in fine fettle following consecutive 2-0 victories over Celtic and Standard Liege in the past week, added to the same scoreline success over Ross County at Ibrox before the international break.
They added another through Jermin Defoe and Joe Aribo’s goals in the first half.
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Hide AdThe Light Blues have only dropped points on two occasions this season, however the first was to Gary Holt’s men in a 0-0 draw at the Tony Macaroni Arena. Holt’s side made the trip from West Lothian in joint eighth place with 11 points from 11 games, but they couldn’t add any despite some second half pressure
Follow the action as it happened in our live SPFL Premiership matchday blog including all the build-up, in-play updates and post-match reaction and analysis from the SPFL Premiership clash.
Rangers v Livingston RECAP: Build-up, in-play updates, match reaction and analysis
Key Events
- FT - Rangers 2 Livingston 0
(Aribo 9, Defoe 15) - Aribo scores rebound to give Rangers lead
- Defoe adds well-weighted second on first start since January
4 - Ball whipped to back post from Ryan Kent almost finds James Tavernier. The captain praises the pass that’s gathered up by Max Stryjek.
Calvin Bassey gets high up the left, and is cut off from crossing with his left foot.
Borna Barisic is all left foot, but Bassey switches it up onto his right and clips a cross in but its cleared
Tap in from close range for Joe Aribo after Defoe’s shot was beaten out by Stryjek and Hagi fed the ball across to Aribo
Craig Sibbald is caught in possession in midfield by combination of Davis and Hagi and he is late in lunging at the Romanian who robbed the ball and sparked an attack.
Rangers get the free-kick and Nick Walsh warns the former Falkirk man.
What a goal from Jermain Defoe. A wonderful touch to tap in a long ball from the right by Tavernier after Davis’ cross-field pass.
An experienced cushioned touch of class from the Englishman and it left Max Stryjek rooted to the spot
The waves of attack keep coming at Max Stryjek. Joe Aribo is looking for the long ball forward but Marvin Bartley nips in to poke away - but the Livi keeper has to gather.
He’s not had much to do in either of the previous two games since Steven Gerrard restored his to the first team but Allan McGregor is out smartly to gather a Livingston attack - in front of a Union flag bearing the West Lothian town’s name no less - the first action he’s been involved in this afternoon.
Ryan Jack plays a series of give and go little triangles, the fundamentals , that cuts through Livingston and though Jerman Defoe has pulled wide and is wanting threaded in, after so many short shrp passes to earn his place at the edge of the box there’s only one thing on his mind.
The shot is low but well taken by Stryjek.
The away side are now having a purple patch. They pinned Rangers’ defence back, with no options to distribute other than switch between the centre backs. Sibbald has switched with Pittman to run at the defensive duo.
A couple of hopeful balls over the top from Rangers have also been repelled and the visitors are keeping them well marshalled.