Rangers’ defensive frailties were laid bare again in the 2-0 defeat against a Hibernian side who extended their unbeaten run in the Premiership to 16 games.
The Hibs midfielder Dylan Levitt opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a drive that went all too easily through the Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland.
Rangers had lost the opening two goals in five of the last seven matches – four in six under new manager Barry Ferguson – and once again they required a comeback However, the attacker Martin Boyle raced away in the 69th minute to score a second to secure a first Hibs win in Govan in seven years as the disjointed home side recorded a fifth successive home loss for the first time.
Rangers host Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday night, when they will be without the suspended defender John Souttar and the midfielder Mohamed Diomande, and they will have to somehow find a way to keep the back door closed with a jittery Butland a concern.
There was a boost before the game for Rangers fans with the return of the winger Vaclav Cerny after a hamstring problem, with the left-back Jefte in for Ridvan Yilmaz as the home side reverted to a back four.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the visitors were unchanged and looked at ease in the opening stages before they took the lead. Souttar headed clear a long throw-in from Jack Iredale and it fell to the Wales international Levitt, who took a touch before rifling in a shot from 25 yards which Butland, culpable for several goals conceded in recent games, allowed to squirm into the net.
Rangers’ response was weak. Hibs shuffled back behind the ball and the home side struggled to break them down which brought the inevitable groans from the stands.
In the 28th minute, a fine move involving Cerny, James Tavernier and Cyriel Dessers ended with the Rangers striker’s shot blocked by the Hibs keeper Jordan Smith for a corner which came to nothing.
Then Dessers drove high over the bar under pressure from the Easter Road defender Rocky Bushiri after being sent through by Hamza Igamane before a free-kick from Tavernier just cleared the bar as did a wayward shot from Dessers, who was having another off day.
Just before the hour mark, Dessers raced clear before hitting Smith with an unconvincing effort but was well offside. Rangers substitute Nedim Bajrami, on for Cerny, smacked the bar with a drive.
Campbell then ran through into acres of space but drove wide of the target and when Boyle raced on to a Jordan Obita pass in the 69th minute, he put the ball through the legs of Butland but was ruled offside – only for VAR to confirm the goal and Hibs celebrations.
Boyle had another opportunity on the break but this time Butland parried clear but a third was not required by David Gray’s side, who go from strength to strength in third place, while it was another wholly unsatisfactory display by Rangers.
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