Shankland and Aasgaard fire Rangers past Saint-Étienne

Rangers made the perfect start to their friendly clash with Saint-Étienne, taking the lead inside five minutes through Lyndon Shankland's clinical finish. The home side looked sharp in the opening exchanges and could have extended their advantage, but the French visitors gradually worked their way into the contest as the first half wore on. The atmosphere at Ibrox was buoyant, with Rangers supporters keen to see their team make a statement during the pre-season campaign.

Saint-Étienne drew level just before the break when Jens Breum finished well to level the score at 1-1. The goal gave the away side genuine hope heading into the second half, and they looked dangerous going forward despite being the visitors. Rangers responded to the setback without panic, knowing they had plenty of time to restore their advantage.

The match remained competitive throughout the second period, with both teams creating opportunities but neither quite able to break through for a while. Rangers eventually got their breakthrough late on when Tore Aasgaard fired past the Saint-Étienne goalkeeper in the 85th minute to make it 2-1. The goal proved to be the decisive moment, settling what had been an entertaining and well-contested friendly between two sides preparing for their respective league campaigns.

Rangers saw out the final few minutes without alarm to claim a 2-1 victory that will have pleased manager and supporters alike. The win provided good preparation ahead of the new season, with the attack looking particularly sharp and the defence holding firm when required. Saint-Étienne can take encouragement from their performance despite the defeat, and both teams will have gained valuable fitness from the 90 minutes.