Glasgow Rangers secured their first Old Firm victory in 18 months earlier this week with a stunning 3-0 win over Celtic at Ibrox, but it will count for nothing if they cannot secure another three points today.
Philippe Clement takes his side to Edinburgh to face a resurgent Hibs side who have defeated both Aberdeen and Hearts in recent weeks.
With such a short turnaround between matches, the supporters can expect a few changes to the starting XI and this might see Hamza Igamane drop to the bench for the clash against the Easter Road side.
Why Hamza Igamane could be dropped to the bench
The young centre-forward was chosen ahead of Danilo and Cyriel Dessers to start against Celtic, and he delivered a mature performance.
He may not have gotten on the scoresheet, but Igamane was full of running, constantly dragging opposition defenders out of space, allowing others behind him to push into the final third and create chances.
Despite this, he also managed to lose the ball ten times while winning just one of the seven ground duels he contested, and it looked like he was beginning to run out of steam towards the end of the game.
With Clement desperate to secure all three points against Hibs, perhaps a change in the final third could do the team the world of good.
Danilo emerged off the bench to score the third goal against Celtic on Thursday and the clash at Easter Road could be the perfect opportunity to unleash him from the start.
The Rangers player who could replace Igamane
The Brazilian has seen his game time managed since making a return to the squad following his serious knee injury.
Despite this, he has made a total of 14 appearances in all competitions this term, scoring seven goals and grabbing two assists, which works out as a goal contribution every 1.5 matches.
|
Danilo’s stats in the Premiership this season |
|
|---|---|
|
Matches (starts) |
10 (4) |
|
Goals |
5 |
|
Shots per game |
3 |
|
Scoring frequency |
A goal every 91 minutes |
|
Big chances created |
4 |
|
Successful dribbles per game |
0.8 (73% success rate) |
|
Via Sofascore |
|
On this evidence, the former Feyenoord striker has offered plenty in the final third, with two goals in recent weeks coming against Celtic.
Journalist Jonny McFarlane praised the centre-forward following the Old Firm victory, saying: “Danilo currently has a goal contribution every 68.8 minutes. He scores every 88.5 minutes. If he stays fit, the numbers suggest he will be a major player for Rangers.”
There is certainly no denying his ability, but it looked as though injuries had taken their toll on the player, who missed 41 games for the Ibrox side last term.
With a point to prove and two Old Firms since mid-December, unleashing Danilo against Hibs could be the most logical thing Clement can do, especially with Igamane likely feeling the effects of the previous few weeks.
If so, the former Ajax star could be the difference in the final third for Rangers. With the likes of Ianis Hagi, Vaclav Cerny and Nedim Bajrami all operating behind him, the 25-year-old won’t be short of chances, that’s for sure.
A repeat of the Celtic display would be wonderful, but sealing three points is the priority for the Belgian this afternoon.
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