Rangers edge Aberdeen in League Cup final for Philippe Clement’s first trophy

Scrappy, bitty, tetchy. Rangers will not care. Philippe Clement’s side emerged from an attritional League Cup final to ensure the trophy will be housed at Ibrox for the first time since the 2010-11 season. This final win carries huge significance for Clement, coming just two months after his appointment.

Rangers deserved their victory, if on basis of approach alone. They at least played with elements of attacking intent. Aberdeen’s rope-a-dope policy was neither attractive nor effective.

Only when James Tavernier opened the scoring for Rangers did Aberdeen move on to the front foot. Even then, Rangers did not appear unduly worried. Aberdeen’s supporters will ponder what might have been.

Tavernier’s late intervention came as Rangers looked to be running out of ideas. The captain was left in splendid isolation at the back post, where he met Borna Barisic’s cross before finishing beyond Kelle Roos. Aberdeen’s custodian will feel he should have done better with the goal.

The opening period was notable for its lack if scoring opportunity. Rangers dominated possession but had only rare sights of Roos’ goal. Clement’s team should have broken the deadlock in stoppage time, Ross McCausland instead heading over from Todd Cantwell’s cross. McCausland earlier had the ball in the net but the whistle had correctly been blown for a foul.

Free-kicks from Tavernier and Barisic were tipped wide by Roos as Rangers pressed after the interval. Aberdeen’s goalkeeper had saved smartly from McCausland and Cyriel Dessers. In their finest moment of attacking play, Aberdeen saw a wonderful Nicky Devlin cross somehow evade all players inside the six-yard area.

Tavernier, a prolific scorer for a full-back, punished Aberdeen’s lack of invention. Clement has delivered his first statement of proper intent.