Rangers edge past Hibs with Butland's crucial penalty save
- Rangers took the lead with a goal from Tom Lawrence after a VAR check confirmed he was onside.
- Hibernian was awarded a penalty just before halftime, but Jack Butland saved the attempt, maintaining Rangers' lead.
- The victory allowed Rangers to reduce the points gap to Celtic and Aberdeen, although their performance in the second half raised concerns.
Rangers secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Hibernian at Ibrox, aided by a crucial penalty save from Jack Butland. The match featured two significant VAR checks in the first half, with Tom Lawrence's stunning goal initially ruled out for offside but later confirmed as valid. Just before halftime, Hibernian was awarded a penalty after John Souttar was deemed to have handled the ball, but Butland's save preserved Rangers' lead. Despite struggling to find their rhythm, Rangers managed to hold on for the win, marking their fourth consecutive clean sheet. Manager Philippe Clement acknowledged the challenges faced by the team following a European match, noting a lack of freshness among the players. He expressed confusion over the penalty decision against Souttar, emphasizing the difficulty of the situation. The victory allowed Rangers to close the gap to Celtic and Aberdeen in the league standings, but Clement highlighted the need for improvement in their second-half performance.