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Aberdeen v Rangers
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Kick Off: Wednesday 30th October at 20:00
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Competition: Scottish Premiership
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Watch Live: Sky Sports Main Event
Aberdeen’s home match against Rangers already has the feel of a season-defining encounter for the home side, despite October not being out yet.
Under Jimmy Thelin, the Dons have matched Celtic stride for stride at the top of the Premiership, and victory here would send out a signal that they are very much the real deal as they mount an unlikely title push.
For Rangers, meanwhile, coming away empty-handed would be a disaster given that they already trail their hosts by six points – a state of affairs that already has pressure on manager Philippe Clement.
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Traditionally, Aberdeen’s matches with Rangers have been tense affairs. This was reflected in last season’s games as two produced five or more cards while the other saw Rangers reduced to ten men.
Three of Aberdeen’s last five have produced at least six cards, while the Gers have picked up two or more cards in 10 of their 12 fixtures this season.
Referee John Beaton, meanwhile, averages 5.4 cards in Scottish Premiership games this season.
Aberdeen have scored in every game they have played this season, and on the evidence of their recent trip to Celtic, they have the offensive power to worry Rangers – even with top scorer Pape Habib Gueye missing.
Will Aberdeen shut Rangers out? The Gers have, incredibly, only scored one goal from their first four away matches of the season but they have generated 3.96xG in these games. Aberdeen, meanwhile, have three clean sheets this season in the league, but two of these have been against bottom-half opponents.
All three league games between these sides last season saw both teams score.
Based on Aberdeen’s form this season, they are a long price to avoid defeat. The Dons, after all, have only failed to win once across all competitions and even rallied from a seemingly impossible situation away to a Celtic side that is considerably better than this Rangers team.
The Gers have not only struggled away from home this season – two wins in six across all competitions – but a stacked fixture list is further complicating the life of the Ibrox club.
Rangers are likely to dominate this encounter in terms of corners, which is their habit. Clement’s side have won more corners than their opponents in each of their last five matches across all competitions.
Aberdeen’s win over Dundee United, meanwhile, was the first time in four Premiership games they had more corners than their opponents. Against Celtic, they conceded 18 and won only two. While they are unlikely to be as defensive as they were in that game, it is probable they will be on the back foot for a large chunk of this match.
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👕 Aberdeen v Rangers Predicted XI
🔍 Aberdeen v Rangers Players to Watch
🔴 Jamie McGrath
While there is some degree of uncertainty about who Rangers will start due to their fixture congestion, there’s little doubt that Jamie McGrath will shoulder many of Aberdeen’s hopes.
The Irishman leads the Pittodrie club for goal contributions in the Premiership with eight. He also has more shots than any other Dons player this season, more shots on target than any of their available players and typically draws a sizeable foul count.
🔵 Vaclav Cerny
One improving figure is winger Vaclav Cerny, who might not be a favourite of the fans yet, but who has had at least three shots in his last ten successive games for club and country. The Czech has three goals in his last two games.
🔵 Cyriel Dessers
Cyriel Dessers is Rangers’ offensive focal point. He has a club-high 1.62 shots on target per 90, while he also has 21 foul involvements (3.09 per 90), which shows how much of a handful he is. Rested at the weekend, expect him to have a big influence here.
📂 Aberdeen v Rangers Cheat Sheet
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💻 Aberdeen v Rangers Form and Tactics
Aberdeen have been sensational this season, with 14 wins from 15 matches in all competitions. The exception was away at Celtic when they came from 2-0 to draw 2-2.
That draw at Parkhead showed the flexibility that has been Aberdeen’s strength this season. They are capable of being defensive but can become more aggressive in their play to cause major problems even the best teams in the league major problems.
Efficiency is key to what they are doing, as they are in the bottom six for shots per game (11.4) and only rate sixth for shots on target per game (3.67). Aberdeen have scored 55% of their shots on target but top scorer Pape Habib Gueye is a long-term injury absentee.
Winger Jamie McGrath is now their key figure. He has eight goal contributions, with two goals and six assists. He also leads Aberdeen in shots with 13 and is second only to Gueye in terms of shots on target with four.
No team is fouled more than the Dons per 90 minutes in the Premiership this season, with Thelin’s side on 12.8.
Rangers have been horribly inconsistent this season, mixing strong performances like their recent 4-0 win over FCSB with the dreadful, such as the 1-0 loss to Kilmarnock that preceded it, and the mediocre, for example, Sunday’s 2-1 win over St Mirren. It’s difficult to know what to expect from Philippe Clement’s side currently.
Efficiency has been an issue for Rangers, which is surprising given they sit second in terms of both shots on target per 90 (5.67) and shot on target percentage (36.7%).
Rangers are in the midst of a hectic and important run of fixtures, with Motherwell in the League Cup semi-final to come at the weekend and Olympiacos away in the Europa League to follow that. Therefore, Clement’s squad-juggling talents will be stretched in the weeks ahead.
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🏁 Aberdeen v Rangers Ref Watch
- Referee: John Beaton
- Has overseen 13 matches this season, showing 69 cards at a rate of 4.85 per match overall and 5.4 in the Scottish Premiership.
- Awarded five penalties, yet none of these have been in the five league matches he has officiated.
- Averages 23.14 fouls per game overall, but only 21.8 in the Premiership.
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* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
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