Michael Beale's Rangers tactic that should've beaten Celtic

Michael Beale will be encouraged with elements of yesterday’s 2-2 draw and having suffered two heavy defeats in this fixture last year, the current squad managed to stop Celtic from playing while creating superior chances over 90 minutes.

In response, their inability to extend a 2-1 lead while on top, or see out the win having largely kept Ange Postecoglou’s side away from goal, is further proof of where this group remain and the undoubted additions needed in the upcoming transfer windows. Their title ambitions needed a win to cut the gap at the top of the table to six points.

It wasn’t a game that taught us much regarding individual players or this squad as a whole, but it did showcase a better outplaying of Beale’s tactical ideas and the benefits of some early changes he has made.

“On the day the chances were with us. But we have conceded a really bad second goal,” he commented after the game.

“It’s disappointing because we were two or three minutes from winning the game but there were a lot of things in the performance that I needed to see.”

Until Ryan Kent clipped the post on 26 minutes the visitors were in control. While only amassing two shots, they managed to play out from the back multiple times in response to the narrow press faced.

Celtic use inverted full-backs in certain matches to overload the centre of the pitch. At Ibrox, they kept Alasdair Johnson and Greg Taylor, later Josip Juranovic, wide to stretch the pitch and create a free man on the outside.

This wasn’t translated into final third chances. As shown by the visitor’s passes played up until 30 minutes, Rangers largely kept them away from the goal aside from a few crosses that could’ve spelt danger on another day. Red indicates a successful pass and yellow an unsuccessful pass.

Despite this, by 30 minutes Beale’s side had played just 60 successful passes to their opponent's 154, lacking any real foothold.

Rangers generally managed to stop Callum McGregor from getting on the ball in the build-up by blocking passes into the away side’s captain. Here’s an example after 10 minutes. Kent stands in front of McGregor to stop the direct pass and then presses Carl Starfelt, who is right-footed, to play a pass out wide that Malik Tillman can read and intercept. A slip prevents the American from subsequently playing forward quickly.

More often than not before the half-hour mark, Celtic had the better of these moments.

Speaking in the lead-up to yesterday’s fixture, Beale said: “We will meet them at the halfway line and look them head on and will go for the three points. We won't be making a step backwards. If it looks like we are taking a step backwards it will be because they have the upper hand in the game.”

His side started to force the issue and enjoy more success off the ball around the half-hour mark.

As shown by the xG trendline, which charts the game’s opportunities, Rangers started slowly before building up pressure on the visitors’ goal. Even when ahead, they created more regular opportunities prior to Kyogo’s late equaliser.

What changed on the ball? Beale said after the game: “It was clear to everyone that Sakala’s pace was going to cause them some problems but we didn’t have to be so obvious in how we went there. We needed to make a few more passes.”

The home side’s pass network in the first half compared to the second demonstrates some subtle alterations. Note that substitutes are included.

Sakala was wider and received the ball in deeper locations after the interval, allowing him to drive at the opposition and use his pace. Morelos played closer to the Zambian while Kent was more active on the left, from where he would score the equaliser.

“I asked the three forwards to go and cause some disruption and I felt in the second half Alfredo started winning more of the duels against the centre-halves and that gave Sakala and Ryan more room,” Beale added.

READ MORE: Why Michael Beale's two strikers blueprint is way forward for Rangers 

Morelos won just one of his nine duels in the first half and five of eight in the second, Sakala was far more present in possession and Kent provided a “big moment” to level the game soon after the break.

Sakala had largely remained left in transition before half-time and as demonstrated by the below pass map, no long balls were successful in finding him. Only 31 percent of the passes played into Sakala were successful.

After the break while plenty of unsuccessful passes remained (only 46% intended found Sakala) you can see the forward mainly received on the right and Rangers’ passes were less direct. In Beale’s mind, this “less predictable” method of attack was a key difference.

The second goal in particular was a good example of this theme playing out. Rather than play the ball into the Zambian early, Morelos delays and drops possession into the feet of Malik Tillman, resisting the urge to turn and switch and allowing Sakala to receive in closer proximity to goal.

The Ibrox outfit did play over the press intentionally which adds some context to the 72 percent pass accuracy recorded (69 percent before the break and 75 percent after). The first goal provided some context as to why they moved the ball directly.

Given the intensity of Celtic’s press, the home side didn’t try to invite pressure and play through but rather tried to get the ball forward quickly into their front three.

Prior to Kent’s equaliser, Sakala takes the ball down well under pressure allowing his side to attack the Celtic defence in space. Kent’s able to cut inside and find the far corner perfectly, a finish that’s typically evaded him at Ibrox.

Morelos’ two first-half headers (0.13 and 0.14xG) and Tillman’s chance (0.2xG) inside the six-yard box were the best opportunities in open play for the home team and all arrived from crosses.

After such a slow start Rangers were in the ascendancy after an hour. Their inability to see out the game cost them vital ground in the race for this season’s league title.