Rangers beat Dundee United to keep Celtic’s title celebrations on hold

Rangers cut the deficit behind cinch Premiership leader Celtic to six points with a one-sided 2-0 win over Dundee United at Ibrox but the title remains on course for Parkhead.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst rang the changes following Thursday’s thrilling Europa League semi-final win over RB Leipzig and it took until the 55th minute to get the breakthrough when skipper James Tavernier scored from the spot for his 17th goal of the season.

Substitute Amad Diallo added a second in the 78th minute to reduce the gap behind Celtic with two fixtures remaining, but Rangers have a vastly inferior goal difference of 20 which makes the Hoops overwhelming favourites to reclaim the title.

But Ibrox eyes are elsewhere at the moment.

The euphoria from the 3-1 win over Leipzig still permeated the air in Govan with talk of the Seville final against Eintracht Frankfurt on May 18 the main topic of conversation.

There was surely no one inside the stadium who thought the title could realistically stay at Ibrox and the focus was on Spain.

Van Bronckhorst shuffled his pack with a first start for 18-year-old central defender Leon King while Jon McLaughlin, James Sands, Steven Davis, Aaron Ramsey, Scott Arfield and Fashion Sakala were reinstated

United boss Tam Courts, whose side went into the game in fourth place, gave a first start to 18-year-old midfielder Mathew Anim Cudjoe.

Midfielder Arfield, who signed a new contract on Saturday, was playing the false nine position as Rangers pressed the Taysiders from the start, with Sakala drawing a good save from United keeper Benjamin Siegrist in the ninth minute with an angled drive.

The Tannadice number one then made an even better save from Arfield’s close-range shot after the playmaker had linked up