Rangers season-high xG total still not enough for misfiring forward line - tactical and data match report against Hearts

Rangers looked impressive and imposing in the opening 45 minutes of their Premiership encounter with Hearts.

Their manager Steven Gerrard lauded the rediscovery of a ‘level’ they hadn’t yet played within the opening months of the campaign.

If his team had held onto the result the many positives from that spell would have been more easily remembered. Instead, naturally, attention turns to missed opportunities both in front of goal and in trying to change the narrative of the season.

The home side should have been out of sight by the time Craig Halkett netted on 90 minutes. A lack of ruthless finishing was as much to blame as Allan McGregor, who missed his punch for the equaliser.

The Rangers Review brings you a unique review of all aspects of play in our StatsBomb match report.

Trendline

Gerrard’s comment about his side’s level is well pictured in the game’s trendline. It's true the intensity level did drop after half-time but, clearly, his team did more than enough to win the match throughout.

Based on pure chance creation, the hosts win that game 91 per cent of the time.

Regardless, a lack of ruthlessness allows moments like Halkett’s goal to occur. Naturally, far more nerves on and off the pitch circulate when a lead is only a goal strong instead of two or three.

By the time Robbie Neilson's team had their first effort on 71 minutes, the Ibrox side had already amassed an xG of 2.4.

Shot maps

After a shot of optimism, get ready for the bad news. Once more the team's final third activity on a conversion basis was poor.

This was by far the highest xG total created by the Ibrox outfit in any match this season. That as an isolated fact demonstrates why positives can be drawn performance-wise.

However, xG does not equate to points. 

Bluntly, everyone in the team did their job up until the final effort.

Some notable attempts were Leon Balogun's two chances saved in succession by Craig Gordon within the six-yard box. Those shots clocked 0.71 and 0.51 xG respectively. 

Kemar Roofe's effort that clipped the post also went close to extending the advantage. As shown, Gordon's positioning was near-optimal to close the angle.

Alfredo Morelos perhaps merits a section of his own given the opportunities he passed up yesterday. In fact, the forward’s individual xG total was higher than his team’s overall xG in four of their previous eight league matches, at 1.54.

Most glaring was the final home effort of the game. With the goal in its entirety at the mercy of Morelos, he somehow spurned wide.

Not one of the eight efforts Morelos took hit the target.

John Lundstram was again superb and his goal demonstrated the confidence he is playing with.

Striding into open pitch after Ianis Hagi had stretched the defence with a run from the right – he placed the shot beyond an outstretched Gordon.

The PSxG of 0.36 from an original xG chance rating of 0.03 epitomises the quality of his goal.

Halkett profited from a McGregor blunder to score, but he also broke free from his marker. James Tavernier allowed the defender to sneak into his blindside as he was attracted to the ball.

As seen, Halkett ends up goalside of Tavernier (No.2) to score.

That chance aside the visitor's created little. Barrie McKay's saved effort (the yellow diamond) had an xG of 0.25.

Pass networks 

A more profitable approach without the ball was aided by the starting 4-2-3-1 shape. As The Rangers Review has covered, the team play with more of a ‘style’ than ‘formation’ – which allows for variation of approach from middle to front.

Starting Hagi as a central number 10 meant Hearts’ were outnumbered in the middle of the pitch. That allowed the hosts to create a number of quick central overloads and progress through the centre of the opposition.

Hearts defended in a 5-2-3 - with Cammy Devlin and Beni Baningime both extremely deep.

Pressure maps

The hosts looked far more organised without the ball and made 32 counterpressures in the game along with 92 pressures overall.

Although an intensity drop felt evident in the ground, the team actually made 50 after the break compared to 42 beforehand. 

Comparison of the first and second half pass network gives more explanation to the drop-off.

The team was deeper with the attack lopsided and there was a distinct lack of width.

Lundstram impresses again 

Gerrard suggested his summer signing epitomised what he wanted on the pitch at full-time yesterday. 

For the third game in a row, Lundstram was given man of the match. He topped the xGChain again and was involved in so much of the team's attacking flow.

He allowed Rangers to play out of pressurised situations and formed the base of wide triangles in the attack. 

The 27-year-old protected his defence as well - leading the way with 19 pressures and 12 ball recoveries.

His pass map displays how rarely he looked backwards.

A story of two halves? Or all about chances?

As the trendline demonstrates, Rangers were roughly as prolific on a chance creation front in either half.

On the eye, the tempo certainly wasn't the same after the restart. Late chances came to pass in part due to the space Hearts left chasing an equaliser.

But if Morelos finishes his chance, or Roofe his, it perfectly vindicates Gerrard's substitutions. Roofe's chance was provided for by Steven Davis and Juninho Bacuna, while Morelos' Roofe and Bacuna. 

The cause of two dropped points was a failure to capitalise - as much as the 90-minute concession stings.