Rangers and Hearts ended in a goalless stalemate, a result that Rangers manager Philippe Clement deemed fair.
Both teams had their moments, with Yan Dhanda and Cyriel Dessers each hitting the woodwork. Hearts were also denied a penalty following a handball by Connor Barron. This result leaves the door open for Celtic to potentially take an early lead in the title race if they secure a win against Kilmarnock tomorrow.
Reflecting on the match, Clement shared his thoughts with Sky Sports, saying, “We didn’t play a good first half. We were lacking physicality in the duels. When we had the ball, we were too impatient, not enough quality, and not in the right positions. We addressed that at half-time, and in the second half, we took control and played better football.”
Clement acknowledged that his team is still finding its footing. “It’s not top yet, that we know. We have new players coming in, and we’ve lost some key players. At the end of the road, this will be an important point against a team that finished third last season. I think it’s a fair result. Hearts took the first half, and we took the second.”
Connor Barron made his competitive debut for Rangers, filling in for the departed John Lundstram. Clement praised Barron’s performance but highlighted the void left by Lundstram. “We had some players who missed pre-season and others who are new, like Connor Barron. You miss a really important part with Lundstram there to lead the team out of the midfield. Oscar Cortes coming out of an injury also and he was unlucky today, he hurt his knee falling down in a tackle.”
Looking ahead, Clement emphasized the importance of building on this performance. “At the end, it’s a fair result. We could have won; Hearts could have won. Let’s continue to work towards Tuesday and recover well because it’s going to be important. Kyiv is another step up.”
As both teams look forward to their next fixtures, this draw sets the stage for a competitive Premiership season ahead.