Dundee had the ball in the net early in the game only to be thwarted by an offside flag
Rangers suffered a second blow to their Scottish Premiership title hopes within three days as they were held to a goalless draw away to Dundee.
On top of Sunday’s 3-2 defeat by Ross County, Philippe Clement’s side have now squandered their two games in hand over Celtic and are now three points adrift of the reigning champions.
Dundee thought they had taken an early lead through Amadou Bakayoko only for the striker to be ruled offside.
Rangers gradually exerted territorial control, but Cyriel Dessers’ fine drive turned over the crossbar by goalkeeper Jon McCracken was the closest they came to securing a victory.
It means Rangers have now only won two of their latest eight games.
Meanwhile, Dundee have built on clinching their first top-six finish at the weekend by moving to within three points of St Mirren to improve their hopes of European qualification for the first time since 2003.
Clement told BBC Scotland before kick-off that his side needed a return to basics that were missing in that defeat in Dingwall.
However, within seconds of kick-off, Bakayoko was allowed to turn and send in a cross that fell to Malachi Boateng, with the midfielder’s low drive flying just wide of the far post.
Dundee lost captain Joe Shaughnessy to injury after nine minutes and were immediately caught out at the back as Abdallah Sima’s low drive was blocked by McCracken’s legs.
That first threat on goal failed to settle the visitors and, when goalkeeper Jack Butland parried Luke McCowan’s curling free-kick, Scott Tiffoney’s shot on the rebound off the Rangers goalkeeper was turned in by Bakayoko but ruled out for offside.
Even when Rangers began to enjoy the majority of ball, the closest they came to a goal before the break was a Connor Goldson header straight at McCracken that the goalkeeper gathered at the second attempt with no visiting player taking advantage.
McCracken blocked a Tom Lawrence shot at the front post, while substitute Dessers forced the goalkeeper into a fine finger-tip save.
Rangers were now showing signs of desperation and the night threatened to go from bad to worse as home midfielder Lyall Cameron had a shot blocked in front of goal.
As it was, time ran out not only on their hopes of grabbing a late winner but also on their hopes of denying Celtic another title.
More to follow.
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Dundee
Squad number22Player nameMcCracken
Squad number6Player nameMcGhee
Squad number5Player nameShaughnessy
Squad number12Player nameLamie
Squad number3Player nameDodgson
Squad number28Player nameSylla
Squad number10Player nameCameron
Squad number23Player nameBoateng
Squad number17Player nameMcCowan
Squad number9Player nameBakayoko
Squad number7Player nameTiffoney
Squad number8Player nameMain
Squad number29Player namePortales
Squad number44Player nameCostelloe
Rangers
Squad number1Player nameButland
Squad number2Player nameTavernier
Squad number6Player nameGoldson
Squad number5Player nameSouttar
Squad number21Player nameSterling
Squad number11Player nameLawrence
Squad number4Player nameLundstram
Squad number19Player nameSima
Squad number13Player nameCantwell
Squad number7Player nameFábio Silva
Squad number25Player nameRoofe
Squad number9Player nameDessers
Squad number17Player nameMatondo
Squad number20Player nameDowell
Squad number45Player nameMcCausland
Line-ups
Dundee
Formation 4-1-3-2
22McCracken
6McGhee5Shaughnessy12Lamie3Dodgson
28 Sylla
10Cameron23Boateng17McCowan
9Bakayoko7Tiffoney
22McCracken6McGhee5ShaughnessySubstituted forPortalesat 10’minutes12Lamie3DodgsonBooked at 90mins28Sylla10Cameron23Boateng17McCowan9BakayokoSubstituted forMainat 63’minutes7TiffoneySubstituted forCostelloeat 63’minutesSubstitutes4Astley8Main15Mulligan19Robertson25Donnelly26Mellon29Portales31Carson44Costelloe
Rangers
Formation 4-2-3-1
1Butland
2Tavernier6Goldson5Souttar21Sterling
11Lawrence4Lundstram
19Sima13Cantwell7Fábio Silva
25Roofe
1Butland2Tavernier6Goldson5Souttar21Sterling11Lawrence4Lundstram19SimaSubstituted forMcCauslandat 79’minutes13CantwellSubstituted forDowellat 56’minutes7Fábio SilvaSubstituted forMatondoat 56’minutes25RoofeSubstituted forDessersat 56’minutesSubstitutes9Dessers17Matondo20Dowell26Davies28McCrorie31Barisic38King43Raskin45McCausland
Referee:Don Robertson
Attendance:9,010
Live Text
Match ends, Dundee 0, Rangers 0.
Second Half ends, Dundee 0, Rangers 0.
Attempt blocked. Lyall Cameron (Dundee) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Owen Dodgson.
Attempt blocked. Dara Costelloe (Dundee) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Luke McCowan.
Owen Dodgson (Dundee) is shown the yellow card.
Dangerous play by Kieran Dowell (Rangers).
Ricki Lamie (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Rabbi Matondo (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Luke McCowan (Dundee).
Attempt missed. Rabbi Matondo (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Dujon Sterling.
Connor Goldson (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Curtis Main (Dundee).
Attempt missed. James Tavernier (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner from a direct free kick.
Ross McCausland (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Mohamad Sylla (Dundee).
Attempt saved. James Tavernier (Rangers) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Dujon Sterling with a cross.
Attempt missed. Rabbi Matondo (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Kieran Dowell.
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Jordan McGhee.
Substitution, Rangers. Ross McCausland replaces Abdallah Sima.
Attempt blocked. Lyall Cameron (Dundee) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.