Derek McInnes secured his first Scottish Premiership win as Rangers manager after Lawrence Shankland's penalty earned a 1-0 victory at Pittodrie. The Ibrox boss was under pressure following a midweek European exit, but his side dug out a deserved win in the Granite City.
New £8.6 million signing Minsu Kim shone on his debut, while Djeidi Gassama delivered a man-of-the-match display. Gassama was upended in the box by Dan Happe before Shankland buried his second goal of the campaign for his new club.
Kim denied before Shankland strikes
Kim missed a golden chance to put Rangers in front and was then denied by Dons keeper Marius Muller, who clawed away his free-kick. Shankland struck with 20 minutes left, and even though Aberdeen had a Kevin Nisbet goal ruled out, McInnes's men held on for a vital win.
Defensive solidity and midfield graft
Ivor Pandur earned a 7 for his confident handling and high starting position, though he had one moment of slackness with a casual pass that gave away a corner. Dujon Sterling looked sharper in his defending, while Emmanuel Fernandez and Olwethu Makhanya were solid, with Makhanya settling after a shaky start.
James Penrice had a tough shift against Yogane but was solid enough, while Dan Neil put in a shift but was too safe with his passing. Cammy Devlin broke up play and won second balls, earning a 7 despite a booking.
Attacking threats and substitutes
Findlay Curtis looked confident on the right flank, firing a couple of shots over the bar. Kim earned an 8 for his clever movement and excellent touch, while Gassama also got an 8 for his constant threat and sharpness in winning the penalty. Shankland took his spot-kick coolly after Muller had kept out his first-half header.
Among the substitutes, Kosta Nedljkovic came on for Penrice and tucked in defensively, while Daisuke Yokota struggled to get into the game. Ryan Naderi was thrown on late for Shankland, and Ben Godfrey returned from injury to slot into a back five as McInnes guarded against Aberdeen's high balls into the box.
