Alfredo Morelos scored a brace to help Rangers produce one of the most comprehensive football scores of the weekend in the Championship. The ruthless visitors, who also had three more goals disallowed for offside and a penalty award reversed after VAR reviews, tore apart the Jambos, who were unbeaten in ten games and had high expectations of pulling off an upset. Rangers, for whom Malik Tillman scored the second goal, have now won 10 of their 11 games since Beale took over and are undefeated in their past 13, although they still trail city rivals Celtic by nine points at the top of the Premiership.
Nathaniel Atkinson, Orestis Kiomourtzoglou, Cammy Devlin, Stephen Humphrys, and Yutaro Oda were all replaced by James Hill, Robert Snodgrass, Barrie McKay, Josh Ginnelly, and Garang Kuol for Hearts, who drew 0-0 with Livingston on Sunday. Ryan Jack and Todd Cantwell were replaced by John Lundstram and Fashion Sakala in Beale’s two changes to the Rangers squad that overcame St. Johnstone over the weekend. After six minutes, Morelos headed in Sakala’s cross at the back post for the visitors, who had made a good start, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
The winger was set free down the left by a swiftly taken free kick, but the Colombian striker was not to be stopped, as he scored the game’s first goal just two minutes later by nodding in from a Ryan Kent cross. In the 12th minute, Morelos struck a low, angled shot across the face of the goal as Hearts was battling to gain control of the game. After some strong work by Lawrence Shankland and Kuol, the hosts had their first opportunity to score on a counterattack in the 22nd minute. However, goalkeeper Allan McGregor fanned out to make a crucial save.
Rangers extended their advantage in the 35th minute when Tillman hooked the ball home from close range after Connor Goldson had headed Borna Barisic’s cross from the left back into the danger area. This came just moments after Morelos had forced an outstanding save from Zander Clark. Rangers dominated the first half and came out on top in the second. Kent had a close-range shot deflected onto the post, and Lundstram’s fierce 20-yard blast forced another outstanding save from Clark.
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