Motherwell 1 – 1 Rangers | 2nd August 2025

Rangers hold Motherwell to a draw at Fir Park on the opening day of the season.

The pubs were brimming, the sun was beaming, and Fir Park was stirring. Excitement and nerves built in equal measure. The Rangers support made themselves heard early, swelling with noise and numbers. But in the home stands, something else was rising – not just volume but spirit. Familiar faces began to reappear, handshakes turned to embraces, friendships reignited after a long summer apart.

The surroundings felt known. The songs, the rituals, the rhythm of a match day – all just as they were.

But the performance? That was something new.

Showdown in Lanarkshire

Motherwell began with intent. Within moments, Callum Slattery threaded a sharp ball past James Tavernier for Elijah Just to chase. His cross was cut out, but it was a sign of the home side’s intent.

Rangers began to settle and find rhythm. A free kick just outside the box was curled toward goal by Tavernier, with Callum Ward palming it wide, though he may have caught it. From the resulting corner, Raskin headed over.

Despite the early scare, Motherwell grew into the game. The midfield trio of Watt, Fadinger, and Slattery began to take control, moving the ball confidently. A Koutroumbis cross from the right ricocheted off Nasser Djiga, almost diverting into his own net before Butland smothered.

But moments later, a lapse at the back changed the tone.

Under pressure near his own corner flag, Paul McGinn tried to play out but ended up conceding a cheap corner. Joe Rothwell whipped in the delivery and Tavernier—unmarked—headed down and beyond Ward to give Rangers the lead.

Former Motherwell defender Stephen Craigan defended the goal as a consequence of Motherwell’s playing style, but a second viewing makes it hard not to place the blame on McGinn and the defence. McGinn had a solid game overall, but in this moment he just simply wasn’t brave enough to play forward and ultimately we paid the price. The failure to pick up Tavernier inside the six-yard box was just as damaging.

Motherwell responded with renewed energy. Koutroumbis burst down the right and combined with Slattery before finding Watt, who threaded a clever pass to the advancing Longelo. His low drive was spilled by Butland, and the rebound fell kindly to Stamatelopoulos—but the Australian striker could only fire straight at the keeper. It was a golden chance, and one that should’ve levelled the game.

Despite the setback, the Steelmen held firm. They were brave in possession, compact off the ball, and looked very much still in the game, even if they trailed 1–0.

The second half began with a flurry of intent from Rangers. Danilo forced Ward into a comfortable save early on, but Motherwell began to look hungrier and far more composed in possession. They moved the ball confidently, creating wave after wave of attacks that had the Rangers backline creaking.

A Callum Slattery free kick was whipped with speed and power to the back post begging for Just to head downwards, but the Kiwi sent it over the bar – one of a few chances the Steelmen would rue. Afterwards McGinn – perhaps seeking redemption for his error – played a tidy one-two with Slattery and then took the ball past Djiga. The captain shot, rather than square to Stamatelopoulos, and Butland made the save to his left hand-side easily enough.

Longelo pushed forward with the ball and his cross deflected into the path of Just, who ran to the line and sent a teasing delivery high into the box which seemed to perfectly fall to Stamatelopoulos, but he, once again, failed to convert. It began to feel like Motherwell would be the architects of their own downfall again.

On the 84th minute, the moment finally arrived. Longelo burst forward, excellently beating both Tavernier and Dowell at once, and stormed into the box. His shot was well blocked by Barron, but fell to the path of Koutroumbis, who’s shot richoted and fell to the path of Just who passed to Longelo with his chest. Longelo – who was on the floor at this point – sprung up and got his head over the ball and struck well. The ball went through the legs of Tavernier and went low and hard into the bottom corner. The Steelmen had finally found their equaliser, and Fir Park erupted.

Rangers aimed to hit back fast and a teasing cross was expertly defended by Koutroumbis. Tom Sparrow later bombed forward with a final attempt to win the match, but wasn’t able to convert. Rangers were lucky to escape with just a point, and the stats confirm it.

On paper this fixture looked familiar: Rangers with the ball, Motherwell chasing shadows. The possession donut (62 %–38 %) certainly plays that opening note. Yet everything that follows in the data tells a story of a match that never obeyed the expected hierarchy. Askou’s Steelmen were the author, Rangers merely a character trying to wrestle back the pen.

Although Rangers had more possession, Motherwell clearly were the far more threatening side. Our xG (controversial take, but it’s a stat I highly rate in football. I know, I know) nearly tripled Rangers’ (2.21 vs 0.7). Take away the set pieces and Rangers only must a feeble 0.28. We punched above our possession share. Our transitions were delivered at pace and would have been lethal if we just had the killer touch. For a team tipped for a relegation dogfight, that ain’t half bad.

Rangers also had to make more tackles, they conceded more fouls, and received 4 yellow cards. And, let’s be honest, should’ve had a red. How Tavernier was still on the pitch by full time is beyond us. Well, it’s not actually. But that’s besides the point…

These stats point to a team that was constantly chasing the game, especially in the second half. We were composed defensively, using positioning and structure rather than constant reactive defending. We were harder to break down, which even with less possession translated into putting Rangers under more stress.

Rangers controlled the tempo of the match often, but it was often sterile. Remember, their open play xG was only 0.28, their possession barely ever turned into danger. We had 37.6% of the ball yet mustered a 2.21xG. That is an insane statistic.

On Premier Sports Scottish Football Social Club, Askou spoke in detail about his philosophy, recruitment strategy, and the early signs from his team.

He said that belief is at the core of his footballing philosophy. When players try to adapt to his style, some get caught between “being brave” and falling back into their old ways.

Reflecting on the weekend’s match, Askou said the first half went as expected, which he found interesting. He anticipated nerves and intensity, with some nervy moments and new things being implemented. He admitted there were more mistakes than he would’ve liked but added, “it’s part of the process, it’s part of the journey” — echoing the message from his recent letter to supporters.

Michael Stewart, referencing the Morton game, said he’d been impressed with Motherwell’s performance but questioned whether they could play like that against Rangers. He asked: “Is it now clear that this is your identity and it won’t change with who you play against?”

Askou responded:

“We’ll be challenged on this by the top teams, but if it’s not an identity then it’s a game plan. We’ll be challenged by St Mirren, who played well against Celtic even if they didn’t have the ball often — they played very well defensively. We know that if we play our philosophy at our highest intensity we won’t have to change it every time we play a new opponent”.

When asked how happy he was with how quickly the players had taken to the approach, Askou said he was delighted. Not surprised — but impressed — by how fast the group had increased their bravery and intensity. “Especially since these things are so psychological,” he added.

On recruitment, Michael Stewart asked if Askou had deliberately targeted players who could adapt to the system. Askou said that Fädinger wasn’t his signing, but part of the club’s work before he arrived. He praised the player and said he’s adapted well. He noted that he already knew Just and Said from Denmark, and added that he plans to fully utilise his Scandinavian network, which he said should excite Motherwell fans.

On Lennon Miller, Askou remained tight-lipped. He confirmed there had been bids and negotiations, but stated that Miller trained today and is currently a Motherwell player. “If nothing has changed by Saturday, he will be eligible for selection.”

When asked by Stewart if the club planned to reinvest the money, Askou gave a measured reply:

“We don’t want to blow all the money on one player — it’s not how we do business at Motherwell. We’ll think long-term. We’ll look to create the next Lennon Miller at Motherwell. We’ll improve the staff, the resources, and the details”.

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A Show of Faith from the Fir Park Faithful

Saturday marked the first time in a long while that over 6,000 Motherwell fans turned out at Fir Park — a milestone that shouldn’t go unnoticed.

In a climate where attendances across the country can fluctuate, that kind of backing speaks volumes. It’s a powerful signal: that supporters are buying into what Jens Berthel Askou is building. Not just the results, but the identity, the bravery, and the long-term vision. It’s easy to get behind a team when everything is clicking — but this felt like something deeper. A belief in the direction of travel.

Askou has been clear: belief is the core of his philosophy. On Saturday, Fir Park responded in kind.

If you were part of that crowd — thank you. If you’re watching from afar, or haven’t made it along in a while, this is a great time to come back. The early signs are promising, the energy is shifting, and your presence genuinely makes a difference.

Let’s make Fir Park a fortress again. Let’s keep showing up.