Rangers’ chance to retake the lead blown by Neil’s error, likened to a popped balloon

Rangers arrived at Dundee on a wave of optimism after seven consecutive victories, only to see a costly mistake from Dan Neil turn the match into a 2‑2 stalemate at Dens Park. The Ibrok side had hoped to climb back to the top of the Scottish Premiership, but the error, described by manager Derek McInnes as “like a balloon popping”, cost them the opportunity.

Dundee opened the scoring in a fragmented first half when Bradley Fink found the net, while Badredine Bouanani equalised just before halftime. Rangers raised their intensity after the break and appeared on course for an eighth straight win when Nicolas Raskin unleashed a long‑range strike. However, Neil’s mis‑directed backpass to goalkeeper Ivor Pandur was intercepted by Callum Jones, allowing Dundee to secure a point.

The draw leaves Celtic free to widen their lead at the summit, with a four‑point advantage heading into a home clash against Hearts on Sunday at 15:00 BST.

“We made a mistake for Dundee’s equaliser and it was like a balloon popping,” McInnes told BBC Scotland. “We then had to dig deep and go again, and we never quite managed to get to the same levels.”

He added that while Dundee deserved credit for their first‑half performance, Rangers cannot afford to leave the ground needing three goals to win a game.

After a lacklustre opening period, McInnes praised the 25 minutes of dominance that followed, saying it showed what the team is capable of when they play their best football. Former Rangers champion Derek Ferguson warned that brief bursts of brilliance do not win titles, stressing the need for consistent performance over 70 minutes or more.

McInnes also highlighted the issue of wastefulness. Rangers’ expected‑goals (xG) figure of nearly two for the match reflected the quality of chances created, yet the club has scored only 13 league goals from just under 20 xG this season – a shortfall of almost seven goals.

“We had many better chances than Raskin’s goal to take the game away from Dundee,” McInnes said on Sky Sports. “It’s something we need to be far better at. It’s a recurring theme – dominant displays without the goals to match.”