Rangers defeated Livingston 2-1 at the Tony Macaroni stadium this afternoon in the first match of the Scottish Premiership season.

The Lions took the lead after 5 minutes when Joel Nouble capitalised on a defensive mix up.

Rangers huffed and puffed at times but improved greatly after the break.

Scott Arfield scored to equalise before James Tavernier's free-kick cemented the three points.

Dire first-half defending spells danger

It was a debut to forget from John Souttar who was given a comprehensive going over by Livingston powerhouse Joel Nouble. The big striker was a constant menace with his combination of touch, strength and mobility and Souttar looked cast adrift. The opening goal was a case in point and while Borna Barisic didn't cover himself in glory with some dodgy positioning, it was Souttar who allowed Nouble to drift off him before producing a tidy finish. Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be furious at the lack of conviction shown in that moment, but also throughout the first half where Davie Martindale's side made two other decent chances despite having just 18 percent possession. Souttar will have to adjust to a level of scrutiny he's never faced before as the moment is replayed, assessed and fans make snap judgments. Nobody says being a Rangers player is easy, as he's about to find out.

Wingers offer no threat

There are entitled to be questions asked about van Bronckhorst's decision to start with two wingers who rarely score goals. Ryan Kent and Scott Wright are at their best when there is space to play into, but rarely offer a goal threat against the low block. The Ibrox side looked much sharper in the second half when Wright went off for Malik Tillman and Lawrence moved wide. Former Aberdeen man Wright is a good squad player for certain games but has to do a lot more if he's going to be anything but a bit part player this term.

Inexplicable refereeing decision baffles

Phillip Cancar looked to be set for his marching orders as Don Robertson stormed towards him following a clear foul on Wright. Already on a yellow card after a similar challenge, he looked certain to be heading for an early bath. Robertson had different ideas though and simply warned the player. Savvy Lions boss Martindale didn't need to be warned further and subbed his player off the pitch. van Bronckhorst was furious on the bench and no wonder, it was a bizarre decision that will receive significant scrutiny in the days ahead.

The second flashpoint, and another that went in favour of the home side, was when Antonio Colak's brilliant header was ruled out for offside. TV pictures proved the decision extremely marginal but he looked onside as the ball was brilliantly whipped in by Barisic. The header was of the highest quality and the Croat will rightly be aggrieved to be denied an important moment.

Once again, the case for VAR has been made loud and clear and the SFA can't act soon enough to get the system up and running.

Double substitution proves GVB chops

Scott Arfield and James Sands' introduction in the 67th minute was pivotal and once again highlighted van Bronckhorst's game management skills. Glen Kamara had struggled to create while Souttar departing allowed the team to draw a line under a performance that destabilised the defence. Arfield can always be relied upon to find a dangerous run and this skill was key in grabbing the crucial equaliser that broke Livingston's spirit and resolve.

Captain Fantastic

You can hang your hat on James Tavernier stepping up to the plate when the going gets tough. He was a driving force in a relentless second-half performance that saw Rangers chase down their stubborn opponents. So it was no surprise to see his brilliant free-kick but Rangers in front on the 73rd minute. It was a wonderful dipping strike but also showed great ingenuity. Livi keeper Shamal George had stepped too far to one side expecting a shot to his right but the Englishman pinged his shot into the opposite corner.