Rangers rounded off their pre-season campaign with a 2–2 draw against EFL Championship side Middlesbrough at Ibrox this afternoon.
With the match falling between both legs of Rangers’ UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie against Panathinaikos.
Head coach Russell Martin rotated heavily, opting to start several fringe players.
Liam Kelly captained the side from goal, behind a completely changed backline from Tuesday’s match in Greece. Zander Hutton and Jefte started at full-back.
New signing Emmanuel Fernandez partnered Bailey Rice at the heart of the defence, a position Rice has occupied in several bounce games this summer.
Midfield also saw a total reshuffle. Connor Barron and Nedim Bajrami played in the holding roles, supporting Tuesday night’s debut goalscorer Djeidi Gassama.
The front three featured Cyriel Dessers, Oscar Cortés, and youngster Josh Gentles, confirming a fully changed starting XI from midweek.
Middlesbrough, under the guidance of Rob Edwards, made a bright start and quickly raced into a 2–0 lead, both goals coming from set pieces.
The opener came from a corner, as Neto Borges tapped home from close range after a flick-on at the near post, delivered by Law McCabe.
The second, early in the second half, followed a deep free kick by Morgan Whittaker, once a Rangers transfer target and a former player of Martin at Swansea.
A pinball around in the box ended with Dael Fry prodding the ball past Kelly.
Rangers responded positively, and it was Brazilian forward Danilo, on as a substitute, who continued his impressive pre-season form.
Following strong work out wide from Curtis, fellow sub Max Aarons delivered an excellent cross into the box.
Danilo timed his run well, lost his marker, and guided a glancing header beyond Sol Brynn into the far corner, silencing the 7,000-strong travelling Boro support in the Broomloan Stand.
The equaliser came late in the match. Kieran Dowell’s corner was met by Nico Raskin, whose header was saved, but Curtis was alert to the rebound and slid home his second goal in as many games to ensure Rangers avoided defeat in front of their home crowd.
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Here are our five takeaways from today's game.
Danilo could finally come good
It’s taken time, but Danilo is starting to look like the player Rangers thought they were getting this pre-season.
His movement, confidence, and ability to find space in the box were all evident again today.
With fitness returning and confidence rising, he could become a vital figure in Martin’s attack this season, especially with question marks still hanging over the future of our other forward options.
Set pieces remain an issue
Conceding twice from set plays will be a concern for Martin and his coaching staff.
Poor marking, a lack of aggression in both zones, and reactive defending are issues that have persisted for years.
With competitive action underway, solving this quickly must be a priority.
Findlay Curtis could be the real deal
Curtis has now scored in back-to-back games and looks like a player ready to make the step up.
Sharp, direct, and confident in one-v-one situations, he has not only the drive but the end product that Rangers have lacked for years in the wide areas.
While he is by no means the finished article, Curtis has shown he is ready to be a Rangers first teamer.
Fringe players fail to impress
While the heavy rotation was understandable given the timing, few of the fringe players took their chance.
The defence looked uneasy, the midfield lacked cohesion, and there was little attacking chemistry among the front three in the first half.
It served as a reminder of the gap in quality between the starters and those further down the pecking order.
While it is not a XI we will see playing again, it shows that while the starting team has improved, the quality in reserve is still lacking.
Work still to be done, but encouraging signs
This wasn’t a vintage performance, but Rangers showed character to come back from 2–0 down and finish pre-season positively.
The fitness is improving, Danilo and Curtis are showing form, and with reinforcements still expected before the window shuts, there’s reason to be cautiously optimistic as the competitive fixtures pile up.
Martin’s style of play is coming to the fore, slower than we would like but the early signs of it beginning to click are there.
On to Athens Tuesday, before the challenge to reclaim our league title is on next weekend away to Motherwell.