Rangers are unbeaten under Philippe Clement while Aberdeen are looking to bounce back having been hammered 6-0 by Celtic last time out; watch Sunday's game at Pittodrie live on Sky Sports; kick-off 12pm
Friday 24 November 2023 15:09, UK
Rangers manager Philippe Clement is expecting to face a 'stubborn' Aberdeen out to prove a point after their much-criticised display in their 6-0 defeat to Celtic.
Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd criticised the Dons after they conceded three stoppage-time goals in the "embarrassing" display Parkhead, insisting Barry Robson's side would have "absolutely no problem in getting them up for the next game" with Rangers coming to Pittodrie.
Clement's side arrive for Sunday's game, live on Sky Sports, with the manager already clued up on what to expect after Rangers' 3-1 defeat at Ibrox in September.
"I read it all week already that they want this," Clement told Sky Sports News.
"Of course that [defeat at Celtic] puts things at the edge, puts players sharp. If you get a big defeat you always get a reaction out of professional players so for sure it will be a tougher game in that way.
"I've seen a lot of Aberdeen games and they are a really stubborn team who have a lot of physicality.
"There's a big rivalry and it's a big fixture but, for me, every game is important. It's for three points in the league and at the end every point will be decisive so we need a really good Rangers side to win this game."
Rangers are unbeaten under Clement and sit eight points behind leaders Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, with a game in hand.
Ahead of a busy schedule of domestic and European action, the Belgian is demanding his players maintain their standards.
"It's been a good period although, if you have a series of seven games and you win six you want to continue and stay in the rhythm so it will be interesting to see how the team will react on Sunday," the 49-year-old added.
"I want the players to think one game ahead, I need to think much more ahead but that's my job to do that.
"I know we need to focus game by game but we know it's 12 games in 37 days, so there's a really big opportunity for all the players in the squad to get chances if they prove themselves in training and the minutes they get in games.
"We need to see how people recover and how they are mentally and physically and what is the best team to start, but it will never be the team that finishes the game.
"We need a really big squad with everyone on their toes."
Clement will have Rabbi Matondo back from a knee injury and John Souttar from a muscle problem, but midfielder Ryan Jack is a doubt with an unspecified injury, with playmaker Nico Raskin and forward Kemar Roofe still unavailable.
Follow every Rangers game in the Scottish Premiership this season with our live blogs on the Sky Sports website and app, and watch match highlights for free.
Want the Rangers latest? Bookmark our Rangers news page, check out Rangers' fixtures and Rangers' latest results, watch Rangers' goals and video, keep track of the Scottish Premiership table and see which Rangers games are coming up live on Sky Sports.
Get all this and more - including notifications sent straight to your phone - by downloading the Sky Sports Scores app and setting Rangers as your favourite team.
Sky Sports - This season up to 48 cinch Premiership games will be available across Sky Sports' flagship channels, including Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event, plus at least five SWPL matches. From 2024/25, up to 60 cinch Premiership will be live on Sky Sports, in addition to the SWPL.
Sky Sports News - Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Scottish football fans can enjoy Sky Sports News' (channel 409) rolling editorial coverage of the cinch Premiership and SWPL throughout the season.
Sky Sports Digital - Follow all the latest from Scottish football across SkySports.com and app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus dedicated live blog coverage, in-game clips from matches live on Sky Sports and free highlights.
Sky Sports Social - Alongside coverage and visibility for the league across all Sky Sports' main social media channels, the bespoke X page @ScotlandSky (formerly known as Twitter) will continue to be the home of all Scottish football content on Sky Sports.
Highlights show - Tune in for a dedicated round-up from the cinch Premiership every week on Sky Sports Football.
To download the Sky Sports app click here, to visit Sky Sports website click here.
Sky Sports is the home of domestic football in the UK and Ireland, with action from the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Women's Premier League, Premier League, WSL, EFL, and more.
