The unusual Rangers shape that helped galvanise revival as Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe get in each other's way - Stats Bomb report

It wasn’t a fluid attacking performance but against a well-drilled defence, Steven Gerrard’s team found the answers.

A Kemar Roofe penalty levelled proceedings after Michael O’Halloran had opened the scoring. James Tavernier’s world-class goal 10 minutes from time earned victory.

Using industry-leading StatsBomb data, the Rangers Review brings you a match recap like no other.

Trendline 

The xG numbers for the match are slightly distorted due to a penalty, which has an xG of 0.76.

Although high-value chances were not forthcoming for Rangers all game, the penalty clearly led to their most intense spell of attacking pressure.

In equal measure, their first-half showing asked little serious questions of their opponents. St Johnstone found crosses comfortable to defend and the visitors were guilty of slowing down attacks when possession worked its way wide.

On a more positive note, when Gerrard’s team took the lead they protected it well.

Pass networks

Plenty can be learned from Saturday’s starting XI pass maps.

Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe didn’t have their best game and almost played on top of one another at points. When Tavernier received the ball on the right in an attacking position, he rarely had an option to try and progress the ball further and instead looked to cross.

READ MORE: Rangers' spark from adversity and the Joe Aribo adjustment that helped turn the tide

A look at the second half pass network shows that Kent and Joe Aribo formed a formation more emulative of a 4-2-2-2 which led to the penalty award.

In the first half, Rangers started slowly and looked to play across the pitch far too often, as shown by the thicker lines between Tavernier, Filip Helander and Leon Balogun and the thin vertical pass lines.

St Johnstone’s starting XI pass network demonstrates a running theme in matches, the targeting of the Rangers left. The chances the home side did manage to create in the second period came from their right.

Shot maps

The home side had a higher open-play xG in the match with Ali Crawford missing an excellent chance in the penalty area, and Reece Devine also passing up a favourable opportunity.

Rangers had a non-penalty xG of 0.53, the location of their shots demonstrates how difficult they found breaking down Callum Davidson’s team.

Tavernier's goal on Saturday was world-class and perhaps helped by Zander Clark anticipating a cross.

The two images below show the keeper slightly advance before Tavernier releases a shot. As StatsBomb shot map shows, he leaves his 'optimal position' (circle) in doing so.

Pressure map

Across the board domestically, Gerrard’s team appear to be making less ‘pressures’ per 90. Defined simply as the number of times a team is pressuring the opponent, whether that be to win the ball back or push an opponent away from goal.

For comparison, in their two trips to McDiarmid Park last season Rangers attempted 169 and 107 pressures, the latter number coming in a 3-0 win that was over by a contest just after half-time and the former a 1-1 draw.

On Saturday, 87 pressures were attempted, last season Rangers only made less than 87 pressures in seven of 38 league games. Already this season they have made 87 pressures or less in four matches.

As has been the case in previous matches, the pressure from the front perhaps was not aggressive enough.

St Johnstone are effective and direct in transition, but when playing a high line the space behind the defence must be protected better by the forward players who can pressurise distribution.