Glasgow Rangers scored six goals at Ibrox for the second time this season during their midweek victory over Kilmarnock.
They face a long trip to the Highlands today in the Premiership, taking on Ross County. The Light Blues lost 3-2 on their last trip up north back in April, and they will be looking to avenge this defeat.
Philippe Clement will have taken plenty of positives from the midweek win, especially as several players delivered wonderful performances.
One player who looked comfortable in his first start of the campaign was Danilo. Going forwards, he could be vital for the club, no doubt about that.
Danilo’s performance vs Kilmarnock
Cyriel Dessers has been the main centre-forward used by Clement, as Danilo has taken longer than anticipated to get over the knee injury he suffered in December 2023.
Therefore, he has been restricted to just eight appearances this term, scoring three goals in the process.
Unleashed from the start against Killie, Danilo gave the fans exactly what they were looking for, a dominant performance from their main centre-forward.
He managed to get on the scoresheet, but perhaps more crucially, impressed with his dynamism and link-up play. The Brazilian also succeeded with all three of his dribbles, registering six total shots and winning four of his five ground duels.
This could be the catalyst which sees Danilo emerge as Clement’s main striker. Against County, the Belgian must unleash a player who can take him to even bigger highs – Nedim Bajrami.
Why Clement must unleash Nedim Bajrami
The Albanian joined the Gers in the summer and has added such much-needed creativity to the attack.
In 17 games for the club, Bajrami has scored three goals while adding an assist, despite playing in an unfamiliar role on the left wing.
In the top flight, the former Sassuolo gem has created four big chances, averaged 1.4 key passes and succeeded with 1.9 dribbles per game, impressive statistics to say the least.
Amid his links to Rangers towards the end of the transfer window, Kai Watson, founder of the Rangers Journal, profiled the attacking midfielder, saying: “A technically gifted, intelligent footballer than can play in multiple positions with plenty of Serie A experience.”
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Nedim Bajrami’s Rangers statistics |
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|---|---|---|
|
Metric |
Premiership |
Europa League |
|
Goals |
1 |
1 |
|
Assists |
0 |
0 |
|
Key passes per 90 |
1.4 |
2.4 |
|
Big chances created |
4 |
6 |
|
Successful dribbles per 90 |
1.9 |
2.6 |
|
Via Sofascore |
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Mohamed Diomande operated in the number ten role against Killie, enjoying a relatively solid performance, but Bajrami will offer fresh legs. With two massive ties against Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic coming up in the next seven days, squad rotation will be crucial.
The Albanian’s positive running and ability to pick out a pass will allow him to provide plenty of chances for Danilo, who will be keen to add to his goal tally this term.
Regardless of who plays against the Staggies, all that matters is securing three points while delivering a positive display.
This will allow momentum to keep building ahead of the trip to London to take on Spurs in the Europa League on Thursday.
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