Dundee United 1-0 Rangers: Steven Gerrard sees Ibrox club's 40 game unbeaten league run come to an end

It is the first time that the Ibrox club had lost a league game since Hamilton triumphed 1-0 in Govan 17 months ago on March 4, 2020.

The result was the worst possible warm-up for the crucial Champions League encounter with Malmo in Glasgow on Tuesday night for Steven Gerrard’s men.

Not even the return of Alfredo Morelos, who made his first appearance of the season, could help Rangers today.

Morelos had represented Colombia in the Copa America in Brazil last month and had to enter quarantine when he returned to Glasgow.

But he was, despite only taking part in two training sessions this week, named in the starting line-up by Gerrard on Tayside.

Morelos was one of four changes that the England great, whose men lost 2-1 to Malmo in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round double header in Sweden on Tuesday, made to his team.

Elsewhere, Jon McLaughlin, who had started in the 3-0 triumph over Livingston at Ibrox seven days ago, took over from Allan McGregor in goals. Scott Arfield and Scott Wright made way for Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo.

United manager Tam Courts made two changes to the side that had lost 2-0 to Aberdeen at Pittodrie in their cinch Premiership opener – Jeando Fuchs and Logan Chalmers took over from Mark Reynolds in defence and the injured Lawrence Shankland

The hosts were clearly lifted by the vocal 4,500-strong crowd inside Tannadice and pushed for an early goal. Calum Butcher tested McLaughlin with an ambitious long-range attempt in the fourth minute.

Aribo teed up Morelos for a shot at goal three minutes later when he cut the ball back to his team mate in the United area. The forward, though, hooked wide of the left post.

The visitors found chances hard to come by. The United back four of Liam Smith, Ryan Edwards, Charlie Mulgrew and Robson closed down their opponents quickly whenever they got upfield and keeper Benjamin Siegrist went untested.

Referee Don Robertson ruled that Butcher had fouled Morelos just outside the United penalty box in the 24th minute and awarded Rangers a free-kick.

However, left back Borna Barisic, normally so deadly at set pieces, fired into the defensive wall and the score remained goalless.

Morelos got on the end of Ryan Kent and John Lundstram crosses before half-time – but the striker hit the side netting with the first and had his second held easily by Siegrist.

Rangers centre half Connor Goldson was booked by the match official for a blatant foul on Peter Pawlett when the United midfielder was charging forward after intercepting a slack Kamara pass wide on the left. Mulgrew met the resultant free-kick and forced McLaughlin to palm wide for a corner.

Former Celtic and Scotland man Mulgrew was fortunate not to ordered off four minutes before half-time when he hauled down Morelos as the South American bore down on his goal.

Robertson only showed the centre half a yellow and James Tavernier failed to take advantage of the free-kick. He fired over the crossbar.

Chalmers only last five minutes of the second-half before limping off with an injury. He was replaced by Sporle.

Siegrist did well to deny Tavernier in the 57th minute when the Rangers captain unleashed a dipping volley at him from fully 30 yards out.

McLaughlin was unable to get a hand to Robson’s shot in the 64th minute after Sporle had seen his pass ricochet off of Davis and straight to the defender. The Scot slotted into the bottom right corner. It was his first strike since November 2017. 

Gerrard put on Scott Wright for Lundstrum, Cedric Itten for Kent and Jerman Defoe for Morelos and Rangers were unlucky not to equalise when Goldson glanced a Tavernier corner just wide.

But nobody could begrudge United their first win over Rangers since 2014 and their first league triumph over their rivals since 2012.