Glasgow Rangers returned to winning ways at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon with a hard fought 1-0 win over Dundee in the Premiership.
Philippe Clement saw his side lose the League Cup final last weekend, despite the team performing as well as they have against Celtic in recent years.
A slow first 45 minutes saw Rangers dominate proceedings, yet they couldn’t find a breakthrough. Vaclav Cerny ensured the Light Blue started the second half in a positive mood.
The Czech winger was played in behind the Dundee defence before rounding Trevor Carson in goal and slotting in what turned out to be the winner.
Ianish Hagi had a goal disallowed for offside, while the home side also struck the woodwork four times in total during the match.
Cerny delivered yet another match-winning display, and it is a shame Clement can only count on him for this season, unless the club can agree a permanent deal for the forward.
Vaclav Cerny’s game in numbers vs Dundee
Prior to the clash against the Dens Park side, Cerny had scored nine goals while chipping in with six assists, providing a key threat on the right flank for Clement.
The way he is playing, the winger could surpass Abdallah Sima’s tally of 16 goals from last term in the next few months, and he was the game-changer against Dundee.
During his 75 minutes on the pitch, the 27-year-old registered four shots, made one key pass, and succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts.
More than that, though, was his ability to consistently find himself in positions that terrorised the Dundee backline, and this is arguably his biggest strength.
Metric
Highest Ranked
Accurate passes
Robin Propper (102)
Key passes
James Tavernier and Danilo (3)
Ground duels won
Josh Mulligan (7)
Tackles
Nicolas Raskin (6)
Shots on target
Vaclav Cerny (2)
Clement will be hoping for more over the coming weeks, especially with another Old Firm clash to come against Celtic at the start of 2025.
Another player who is coming into form at precisely the right time is Hagi. Will he play a key role over the festive season?
Ianis Hagi can be Clement’s star man
Cerny may have scored the matchwinner, but it was Hagi who was close to adding number two, although his effort was ruled out.
Throughout the game, the Romanian made one key pass, attempted seven crosses, succeeded with 100% of his dribbles, and even hit the woodwork in what was an impressive showing by the midfielder.
His 73 touches ranked him sixth in the Rangers side, proving how much he wanted to get on the ball in order to make something happen.
By winning six out of seven ground duels, Hagi also demonstrated his strength in one-on-one battles, something which would have pleased Clement.
After not featuring for the first team until October due to a contract dispute, Hagi has enjoyed a redemption of sorts. Against Dundee, he was certainly Clement’s true hero, and it appears as though the Belgian has found a position in which Hagi can dictate the play from deep, utilising his creative talents.
Keep up this form, and he could soon be undroppable, that’s for sure, as he has a big influence in the middle of the park with his willingness to get on the ball and take responsibility for making things happen at the top end of the pitch.
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