Rangers captain Lawrence Shankland scored a brace to secure a crucial 2-1 victory over Falkirk, marking a significant turnaround from the previous week's European exit. The win, achieved under the watchful eye of manager Derek McInnes who was serving a two-game ban, extends Rangers' run of domestic victories to two in a row.
Despite a challenging match where Rangers were second best in the early exchanges, they took the lead eight minutes in. Nico Raskin initiated the play from his own box, passing to James Penrice, who then found Djeidi Gassama. Gassama drove towards the Falkirk defense before finding Shankland 18 yards out. Shankland's initial heavy touch was recovered, allowing him to fire the ball into the net past Falkirk goalkeeper Scott Bain. This goal marked Shankland's third of the season and his first from open play.
Shankland had an opportunity to double the lead in the 15th minute after capitalizing on defensive indecision, but his shot went high and wide. Shortly before this, Ryan Strain had attempted a shot from distance for Falkirk. Rangers' Kim Min-su posed a threat, hitting the post midway through the half and later forcing a save from Bain. Min-su was instrumental in Rangers' attacking play, creating chances for teammates Djeidi Gassama and Findlay Curtis.
Falkirk equalized just before halftime when Cammy Devlin lost possession, leading to Ethan Ross sending a low ball into the box that was deflected into the net by Rangers' Kosta Nedeljkovic for an own goal. Minutes into the second half, Falkirk missed a chance to take the lead when DC Murrell's shot from the penalty spot trickled through goalkeeper Ivor Pandur. Shankland then missed a clear opportunity at the other end, dragging his shot wide after stealing possession.
Emmanuel Fernandez made defensive errors that nearly gifted Falkirk further opportunities, but Murrell failed to capitalize. As the match progressed, Rangers appeared increasingly nervous, struggling to control the game. Gassama's shot went narrowly wide in the 73rd minute, and Aodhan Doherty could not convert a chance inside the Rangers box after a miscommunication between Ross McCrorie and Pandur.
Rangers secured the winner with 11 minutes remaining when Shankland received a pass from McCrorie and slotted the ball into the bottom corner. The victory provides much-needed momentum for Rangers ahead of challenging fixtures, including an Old Firm double-header, and follows the news that Nico Raskin, who was a surprise starter after speculation about a move to Besiktas, will remain with the club.