Thelo Aasgaard's brilliant second-half strike rescued a point for Rangers as they drew 1-1 with Dundee United at Tannadice, giving new manager Derek McInnes his first point in the Scottish Premiership. Lachlan Rose had put the hosts ahead in the 38th minute, but Aasgaard's 56th-minute equaliser ensured a share of the spoils in McInnes's debut match.
McInnes era starts with a fightback
McInnes, who took over at Ibrox during the summer, named a starting XI featuring several new signings, including goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, defender Ben Godfrey, midfielder Cammy Devlin, and striker Lawrence Shankland, who also captained the side. Ryan Naderi was handed a start on the right of Rangers' attack, while Youssef Chermiti began on the bench.
Rangers struggled to control possession in the first half, with United looking dangerous on the counter. Rose and Zac Sapsford repeatedly got in behind the Rangers defence, though they failed to test Pandur with shots on target. Rangers' best chances came from long-range efforts by Dujon Sterling and Mohamed Diomande, both of which went wide.
Rose gives United the lead
The breakthrough came in the 38th minute when Emmanuel Fernandez was caught out of position as Sapsford dummied Jesse Randall's low cross. Rose, left unmarked, curled a left-foot shot that clipped the post and crossed the line, sparking celebrations among the home fans.
McInnes responded at half-time by introducing Chermiti and Dan Neil for Naderi and Djeidi Gassama. The changes immediately injected more urgency into Rangers' play, and they began to create clearer chances.
Aasgaard's moment of magic
Aasgaard forced a diving save from United goalkeeper Jack Walton before the equaliser arrived. Shankland's physical presence caused problems as Rangers lumped a high ball into the box, and Aasgaard took an excellent touch to evade Joshua Rawlins before firing a left-foot strike into the top corner from 16 yards. It was a moment of individual brilliance that highlighted the Norwegian's potential.
Rangers pushed for a winner but could not sustain the pressure. United nearly snatched all three points in the 82nd minute when substitute Daniel Bennie's swerving pass put Randall clean through on goal. However, the New Zealand international dithered, dinking a weak shot straight at Pandur, who gathered easily.
Late drama and missed chances
Chermiti almost made United pay for that miss, but Walton saved with his feet. At the other end, home substitute Idjessi Metsoko had a decent opportunity but shot weakly at Pandur. The match ended 1-1, a fair result on the balance of play, though McInnes will be relieved to have avoided defeat in his first competitive game.
The draw leaves Rangers with one point from their opening fixture, while United also start with a point. McInnes will look to build on this performance as he seeks to close the gap on Celtic, while United boss Jim Goodwin will be encouraged by his side's resilience.
