Cyriel Dessers and Rabbi Matondo Shine as Rangers Crush Ross County 6-0 in Scottish Premiership Clash

In a commanding performance, Rangers overwhelmed Ross County with a six-goal victory in their Scottish Premiership clash. Cyriel Dessers and Rabbi Matondo were the standout performers, showcasing their talents as Rangers cruised to a comprehensive win.

The match, potentially one of Rangers’ last at Hampden before moving, was a week ahead of their much-anticipated Old Firm derby. Philippe Clement’s side seized control early, with Nigeria striker Dessers opening the scoring. He capitalized on a perfectly timed through ball from Tom Lawrence, setting the tone for a dominant display.

Lawrence missed a golden opportunity shortly after, and Matondo came close with a shot that hit the crossbar. However, Matondo redeemed himself just before halftime by finishing off a precise cross from James Tavernier to double Rangers’ lead.

The second half saw Rangers maintain their high intensity. Matondo was instrumental, providing two crucial assists. First, he set up Dessers, who scored his fifth goal in six matches. Then, Matondo assisted Lawrence, who made no mistake in beating Ross County’s goalkeeper, Ross Laidlaw.

Matondo wasn’t finished yet; he scored Rangers’ fifth goal by converting a cross from Vaclav Cerny. The rout was completed by substitute Danilo, who netted his first goal since November after some hapless defending by County.

Despite a couple of attempts from Ronan Hale—one requiring a fine save from Jack Butland and another heading wide—Ross County were largely ineffective and dominated throughout the game.

For Clement, this performance was the most complete of his tenure. However, the game was marred by another injury to Leon Balogun, which forced Dujon Sterling to partner John Souttar in central defense for the second half. Despite this setback, Clement’s side will head into their upcoming derby with confidence after such an impressive showing.

Rangers displayed fluid build-up play, often involving Tavernier in central areas, which provided extra support in midfield. The match highlighted the impressive form of Matondo and Dessers, the latter of whom now has 12 goals in his last 16 league starts. Dessers has surpassed his previous season’s tally of five goals by already reaching that number in just six games this term. Nevertheless, critics will continue to scrutinize him until he proves himself in high-stakes matches, with next Sunday’s derby offering a significant test.

For Ross County, the heavy defeat at Hampden was a stark reminder of their struggles. Historically, they have never beaten Rangers away, and this loss follows a disappointing League Cup exit to fourth-tier Spartans. The way they were exposed, particularly in midfield, will be a concern for manager Don Cowie. Their efforts to limit the damage were largely ineffective, and their defensive lapses were glaring.

Despite the heavy defeat, there is a glimmer of hope in Hale’s performance. The striker, who has scored four goals this season, showed potential and looked dangerous when given opportunities.

In their reactions, Rangers manager Philippe Clement acknowledged Dessers’ growing importance to the team and indicated a focus on maintaining their squad’s strength amid transfer speculation involving Matondo. “It’s clear Dessers is taking the right steps and becoming more important,” Clement said. “Rabbi Matondo will be here with us next week.”

Ross County’s Don Cowie was critical of his team’s performance, saying, “The result shows it wasn’t acceptable. When it gets to two and three, you have to have pride and ensure it doesn’t get worse.” He added that while no immediate changes would be made, it was clear that improvements were needed following their recent results.