Livingston Vs Rangers: Drama, red cards and title-race warnings after turbulent weekend

The Scottish Premiership produced shock results across the board and the weekend showdown livingston vs rangers finished in a 2-2 draw that intensified the title race and generated sharp reactions. The outcome mattered for the top of the table and left managers, players and pundits weighing up the run-in.

Match report: Livingston Vs Rangers — how the game unfolded

Full-time in the Livingston match finished 2-2. Livingston took a two-goal lead through Brooklyn Kabongolo and a second strike from Smith. A sending-off for Montano changed the balance, and Rangers responded late: Fernandez struck a powerful reply and Moore nodded a leveller.

Commentary during the game noted an early sensational strike by Brooklyn Kabongolo from a whipped free-kick by Robbie Muirhead; the defender had been playing in the English sixth tier last season. There were further key moments: James Tavernier hit a free-kick that Jerome Prior pushed away, and a dangerous Sebastian Tounekti ball was headed clear by Jack Iredale.

There was also a contentious handball incident when the ball appeared to hit Jack Iredale's arm as he challenged Benjamin Nygren at the edge of the box, though the defender's arm was described as being by his side. The match report recorded both the opener for Livingston and the late fightback that prevented a home win.

Scottish Premiership swing: Celtic beaten and other results that shifted the table

Celtic were beaten at home in a separate match that finished 1-2 against Hibernian. The Celtic defeat featured two headed goals from Felix Passlack and Benjamin Nygren, followed by a late winner from Andrews after a red card for Trusty. The weekend's combined results produced a major swing in the title race.

Title-race context: where the standings stand and what's at stake

Rangers are two points behind league leaders Hearts and sit one point clear of Celtic, who have a game in hand. Those margins, and the remaining fixtures, have been highlighted as critical with the league split approaching; Rangers have six matches before the split, starting with the trip to bottom-side Livingston. Coverage for that fixture was listed as beginning at 2. 30pm with a 3pm kick-off.

Further context from the weekend: Motherwell recorded an emphatic win and Hearts also won, a combination that increases pressure on the Glasgow clubs. If results align next week — Hearts at home against Aberdeen and Motherwell at home against Dundee United — Motherwell would move one point behind Celtic and three behind Rangers before Celtic and Celtic's rivals play each other the next day. Commentary on the weekend suggested Motherwell could yet finish above one or both Glasgow clubs, leaving Celtic and Rangers potentially third and fourth.

Danny Röhl: belief, caution and the split

Rangers head coach Danny Röhl expressed firm belief in his squad's ability to sustain a title challenge and insisted consistency is now decisive. He said there should be no question over the players' ability to handle the fight and stressed the importance of preparing the next six games to set up the final five after the split. He warned that matches thought to be easy can be dangerous — citing the Arsenal at Wolves 2-2 result as a cautionary comparison — and urged seriousness and aggression in every game.

Röhl's tenure has coincided with a marked run of form: Rangers have lost just one of their 19 league matches since Röhl replaced Russell Martin in October, a stretch that saw the side take the most points of any top-flight team since his arrival. Röhl noted that being two points behind looks encouraging but reminded that Rangers remain in second position.

Manager and pundit reactions plus fan anger

Livingston manager Marvin Bartley described the match as a "rollercoaster of emotions, " saying he would have taken a 2-2 result beforehand. He noted that Livingston had looked comfortable at 2-0 and that the turning point was the sending off. Bartley praised his players for giving everything, while acknowledging the uphill task his side face to improve their league position but that he saw positives from the performance.

Hibs head coach David Gray reflected that the result was the product of sustained effort: it's twice this season the team have been in that position and not lost, he said, and that such performances require every player to be at their best. Gray called the three points massive, coming on the back of a positive result last week against St Mirren, and observed that Hibs sit five points behind Motherwell with two fixtures against them still to play. He insisted there is everything to play for and urged a game-by-game approach.

Pundit Michael Stewart, a former Hearts and Hibs midfielder speaking on a radio show, said Motherwell's emphatic win combined with Hearts' victory applies pressure on the leading clubs. Fan reaction to recent performances was stark: supporters criticised manager Russell Martin's assessment of a recent display, called the defence "rubbish, " described midfield passing as sideways or backward and complained of a lack of goals up front, with several posts singling out Trusty for criticism and labelling managerial comments as deluded.

What happens next

The weekend results amplify the importance of the next round of fixtures and the run-in to the split. Teams will be measured on consistency across the next six matches, and managers emphasise taking one game at a time while preparing for the decisive final five games after the split. Recent developments indicate the title fight remains open and details may continue to evolve.