There was a time when playing away from home was a difficult quest for Rangers.
Michael Beale’s start has cast those memories to the back of every mind, after another dominating display on the road. Last night’s 4-1 victory against Hibs was convincing on the numbers front and even more so to anyone that watched the game.
Although the xG ended up at 3.99, it’s no exaggeration to say this could’ve been six or seven based on the positions assumed and moves built by the visitors.
“We probably could have scored double that to be fair on the night with a mix of good defending from them and also some bad finishing from us, but some of our play was really good,” Beale said speaking after the game.
After an early Connor Goldson goal, Rangers never looked back. This win was as convincing as they come.
Before the game, Beale reiterated the importance of Rangers “imposing their style” on the game, getting the full-backs high and attacking the hosts.
The game’s passing network, which charts the average position each player made their passes from, shows Borna Barisic and James Tavernier ahead of Ryan Jack and Nico Raskin at the base of midfield. The positioning of either full-back was constantly stretching the hosts.
Fashion Sakala and Antonio Colak operated as a front two again, but on different sides to Saturday’s win against Kilmarnock.
Hibs also tried to get their full-backs high and attack the game but Rangers exploited the spaces down the side of their defence, by keeping their attacking trio high and narrow.
Sakala and Colak had seven shots each, making up almost half of the 30 efforts attempted by the visitors overall. Rangers had a clear pattern of success attacking down the left.
Contrastingly, Allan McGregor did not have much to do outside of picking Goldon’s own goal out of the net.
Where was the game won on an individual basis?
READ MORE: Rangers' emphatic Hibs win showcased Michael Beale's ideas - Joshua Barrie
Outside of Sakala’s seven shots and seven key passes, the 25-year-old was successful was 29 of 32 carries. Look at the number of times he ran down the Hibs left.
Every one of the midfield trio was terrific. Raskin religiously regained the ball on the left side of the pitch, propping up Sakala’s high position while Cantwell, the other January arrival, was similarly impressive on the right, using possession well and always working back to cover.
Behind that duo, Ryan Jack was imperious. Only losing one of his eight duels, making 18 ball recoveries, five blocks, five clearances and three interceptions. On and off the ball, this was a reminder of what he does best.
Hibs boss Lee Johnson said that Ryan Kent “ran the game” speaking after the match.
Kent had no assist to his name come full-time but won the penalty for the first goal and created the fourth. It was another performance in the right direction and looking at the positions his teammates passed the ball to him, variation of positioning again played a big part in that.
In truth, any individual could've been highlighted. There wasn't one performance that didn't impress as Rangers won again on the road.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here