Rangers Close Gap On Hearts With 2-0 Win Over Aberdeen At Tynecastle

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Rangers stayed three points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts after another 2-0 victory over Aberdeen. Thelo Aasgaard struck first and James Tavernier converted a late penalty at Tynecastle. Hearts also collected three points, edging Dundee 1-0 at Dens Park despite playing the whole second half with 10 players.

Since Danny Rohl took charge, Rangers have produced the strongest overall league record in Scotland. The team recorded 11 wins, 35 points and 26 goals, while only Motherwell conceded fewer goals with four. Aberdeen’s problems deepened, as the Dons fell to four straight defeats without scoring.

Hearts also extended an impressive trend in the Scottish Premiership when taking the lead. The side have now gone 27 league matches without defeat after scoring first, a sequence dating back to a 2-1 loss against Kilmarnock in October 2024. Key current figures for Rangers, Aberdeen and Hearts are shown below.

Rangers’ win at Tynecastle began with a well-planned set-piece during the first half. A short corner moved Aberdeen out of shape, and Thelo Aasgaard volleyed in to break the deadlock midway through the opening period. Emmanuel Fernandez later headed in, but VAR ruled a foul on goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov.

The visitors finally secured breathing space with around 15 minutes remaining. Graeme Shinnie brought down Djeidi Gassama inside the area, and the referee pointed to the spot after review. James Tavernier sent the penalty home, registering his 89th Scottish Premiership goal since joining the club.

Rangers have now beaten Aberdeen in three consecutive top-flight meetings without conceding a goal. The last time Rangers produced a similar run against Aberdeen in the league came back in August 2011. For the Dons, this latest blank extended a worrying sequence of four defeats without a single goal.

While Rangers applied pressure, Hearts held firm at the top with victory over Dundee. Derek McInnes’ side struck what became the decisive goal on 27 minutes, when Claudio Braga hit his ninth league goal of the season. The match turned before half-time as goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow was dismissed after a VAR review for a professional foul.

Forced to play the second half with 10 players, Hearts depended heavily on veteran replacement Craig Gordon. Deep into stoppage time, Emile Acquah seemed certain to equalise with a close-range header. Yet Gordon reacted sharply, somehow clawing the ball away and protecting a valuable away win for the visitors.

The latest round left Hearts still leading the Scottish Premiership, yet with Rangers closing in again. Rohl’s side show strong attacking and defensive numbers, while Aberdeen struggle badly in front of goal. Hearts continue to capitalise whenever scoring first, maintaining a long unbeaten sequence in that situation.