Sunday 9th December 1330hrs Dundee v Rangers Football – Scotland – Premiership The Scottish Premiership continues to be as exciting and unpredictable as you could possibly imagine at the moment. In the last month there has been four teams occupying top spot and at present there are only four points separating the top four clubs. Rangers currently sit second at the time of writing but could well have dropped a place depending on results on Saturday. Their lunchtime kick off on Sunday is away to at Dens Park against the club who are propping up the other 11 but did get an emphatic win in midweek. Continue reading for a match preview as Dundee face Rangers with a selected best betting tip.
It’s been a long season for Dundee so far as they have lurked towards the bottom of the table for the majority of the campaign and saw fit to change manager six weeks ago. Jim McIntyre was selected to replace Neil McCann but there was no instant upturn in fortunes indeed, it was exactly the opposite. His first three games finished with an aggregate score of 12-0, admittedly two of those games were against Hearts and Celtic. In spite of who they were playing, it was still a dismal beginning to the new managers reign and one that would have worried most supporters. It has started to pick up of late, though, with Dundee now unbeaten in their last three matches and getting their first win since September with Wednesday’s 4-0 win at home to fellow strugglers Hamilton. Results went their way elsewhere and they are now a point behind second bottom St Mirren but the manner of their performance was just as important as the result itself. There was a style of play that has been lacking and the more McIntyre is working with these players they are developing game on game. The win should only continue building confidence and whilst it’s another tough test that awaits on Sunday, they’re in the best shape they’ve been all season.
A week is a long time in football and in the Scottish context it’s even longer. Rangers went top of the table for the first time at this stage of year in seven seasons when winning 2-1 away to Hearts last Sunday. There was a swagger about Steven Gerrard’s men in the build up to Wednesday’s home game against Aberdeen where they would have expected to pick up another three points and keep themselves on top. As it turned out they came up short and Alfredo Morelos was sent off yet again, just days after Gerrard’s praise of the striker. The dropped points would have hurt even more as Celtic dropped points on the same evening and they have relinquished top spot to Kilmarnock. It’s a lesson to Gerrard, his players and the supporters that they cannot run before they can walk and it’s one thing getting to the top, but it’s another thing being able to stay there. If Kilmarnock do drop points the day before then Rangers may find themselves back in first place with a win in Dundee but they will have to be much better than Wednesday.
Dundee v Rangers Betting Tip
These sides have met already this season back in September at Ibrox when Rangers ran out 4-0 winners but there’s reason to suggest that Sunday’s meeting will be closer. Dundee’s recent improvement will instil more confidence and with Kenny Miller scoring a hat trick, they have a striker who will be desperate to prove a point against his old employers. The absence of Morelos for Rangers is also a massive blow but the red card he picked up on Wednesday had no bearing on him missing the trip to Dens Park – he was already suspended. Rangers are a much poorer team without him and without the league’s top scorer they will have to find a way to carry more of a threat. Indeed, they looked rather toothless in the second half against Aberdeen when going down to 10 men.
It’s just one home win all season for Dundee so there is a still a long way to go despite the win over Hamilton. Rangers have picked up of later on the road, winning their last three, and they will be confident about getting back to winning ways. The fact is, however, the visitors have kept just one clean sheet away from home in the league all season and they look vulnerable more often than not on their travels. Dundee, and Miller especially, will be looking to exploit that and I see them netting at the very least – take both teams to score in this fixture.
Selection: Both teams to score 21/20 @ Coral
