Cyriel Dessers' seventh goal of the season brought Rangers level
Rangers moved to within five points of Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic with a comfortable comeback win over Dundee despite playing the second half with 10 men.
Amadou Bakayoko's early close-range finish was cancelled out within 15 minutes by a stunning Cyriel Dessers strike.
A James Tavernier penalty and a thundering Abdallah Sima header had Rangers comfortable before Jose Cifuentes was sent off for a stamp.
- The latest Rangers newsKeep up to date with Dundee
The packed Ibrox stands endured some nervous moments after the break, but seventh-placed Dundee rarely looked like avoiding a 16th consecutive defeat at Ibrox.
It means Rangers head into their Europa League decider against Real Betis, then the Viaplay Cup final against Aberdeen, on the back of 13 unbeaten games, 12 under new manager Philippe Clement.
Clement had rested stalwart centre-half Conor Goldson and emerging winger Ryan McCausland as he said it would be up to others to judge whether or not he was right to make three changes over and above the two forced by injuries.
It looked like he might have to justify his decision when a superb low dive from Jack Butland denied Lyall Cameron and, from the resulting corner, the ball fell to Bakayoko for the striker to coolly slot past the Rangers goalkeeper.
The threat of a first Dundee win at Ibrox since 2001 was, however, quickly extinguished.
Much-maligned striker Dessers had been handed a start and responded with a clinical strike before Tavernier slotted another penalty after Aaron Donnelly had pulled Sima's shirt.
Luke McCowan missed a good chance to draw Dundee level before Sima bulleted home a Tavernier corner for the on-loan Brighton & Hove Albion forward's fourth goal in three games.
Dundee's Joe Shaughnessy and Rangers' Todd Cantwell both had goals ruled out for fouls in the build-up and an action-packed first half closed with Cifuentes being sent off for a stamp on Bakayoko.
Cameron was denied by a last-ditch challenge as Dundee failed to make their man advantage tell, while substitute Dujon Sterling was denied a fourth goal for the hosts by the face of the far post.
Player of the match - Abdallah Sima (Rangers)Abdallah Sima remains Rangers' most potent force, the forward winning a penalty, scoring his side's third goal and tracking back effectively at times of dangerClement gamble pays off; stats depressing for Dundee
Speaking to BBC Scotland before kick-off, Clement lamented the loss through injury of Danilo and Tom Lawrence as it further limits his ability to rest players during a busy schedule of 12 games in 37 days.
The Belgian nevertheless took the gamble of giving Goldson a rare rest and, despite moments of frailty and the self-inflicted wound of a red card, he can breathe easy.
Excluding penalties, Dundee had gone into the game having scored nine goals from set-pieces in the Premiership this season, three more than any other side, and it again proved to be an Achilles heel for Rangers.
Despite continuing the worrying trend of conceding first, Clement's Rangers have averaged more points per game than any side in the Premiership since his first top-flight match in charge in October.
Having been thumped 5-0 in the reverse fixture at Dens Park, this was always going to be an uphill battle for Dundee even if they did arrive unbeaten in three away from home.
They have now lost eight in a row against Rangers - an aggregate of 22-2 - and manager Tony Docherty will be telling his players to quickly move on to more winnable games.
What's next?
Rangers conclude the Europa League group stage away to Real Betis on Thursday (20:00 GMT) before facing Aberdeen in the Viaplay Cup final on 17 December, while Dundee travel to face Ross County on Saturday (15:00).
- Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text
Line-upsRangers
Formation 4-2-3-1
1Butland2Tavernier5Souttar27Balogun31Barisic15Cifuentes4Lundstram17Matondo13Cantwell19Sima9Dessers
- 1Butland2Tavernier5Souttar27Balogun31BarisicBooked at 59mins15CifuentesBooked at 45mins4LundstramSubstituted forKingat 89'minutes17MatondoSubstituted forMcCauslandat 45'minutes13CantwellSubstituted forSterlingat 45'minutes19Sima9DessersSubstituted forRoofeat 72'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Yilmaz6Goldson14Lammers21Sterling25Roofe26Davies28McCrorie38King45McCausland
Dundee
Formation 3-5-2
31Carson29Portales5Shaughnessy12Lamie6McGhee10Cameron23Boateng17McCowan25Donnelly9Bakayoko20Rudden
- 31Carson29PortalesSubstituted forKerrat 26'minutes5Shaughnessy12LamieBooked at 90mins6McGheeBooked at 76mins10Cameron23Boateng17McCowanBooked at 90mins25DonnellySubstituted forTiffoneyat 51'minutes9BakayokoSubstituted forRobinsonat 69'minutes20RuddenSubstituted forReillyat 51'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Legzdins2Kerr7Tiffoney14Ashcroft15Mulligan16Robinson18Reilly19Robertson28Sylla
Referee:Kevin ClancyAttendance:47,229Match StatsHome TeamRangersAway TeamDundeePossessionHome55%Away45%ShotsHome20Away9Shots on TargetHome9Away3CornersHome5Away7FoulsHome12Away9Live Text Post update
Match ends, Rangers 3, Dundee 1.
90'+6'Full Time
Second Half ends, Rangers 3, Dundee 1.
90'+6'Post update
Attempt missed. Kemar Roofe (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Dujon Sterling.
90'+5'Booking
Luke McCowan (Dundee) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
90'+5'Post update
Borna Barisic (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90'+5'Post update
Foul by Luke McCowan (Dundee).
90'+3'Post update
Attempt blocked. Charlie Reilly (Dundee) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lyall Cameron.
90'+3'Post update
Corner, Dundee. Conceded by Abdallah Sima.
90'+1'Post update
Attempt missed. Abdallah Sima (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
90'+1'Post update
Dujon Sterling (Rangers) hits the right post with a right footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Borna Barisic.
90'Booking
Ricki Lamie (Dundee) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
90'Post update
Kemar Roofe (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90'Post update
Foul by Ricki Lamie (Dundee).
89'Substitution
Substitution, Rangers. Leon King replaces John Lundstram.
88'Post update
Foul by John Lundstram (Rangers).
88'Post update
Luke McCowan (Dundee) wins a free kick on the right wing.
84'Post update
Foul by John Lundstram (Rangers).
84'Post update
Luke McCowan (Dundee) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
83'Post update
Foul by Dujon Sterling (Rangers).
83'Post update
Lyall Cameron (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Page 1 of 6rewindpreviousNavigate to the next pagenextNavigate to the last pageforward
Player of the match
SimaAbdallah Sima
with an average of 7.25
- RangersRangersRangersDundeeDundeeDundee
RangersAvgSquad number19Player nameSimaAverage rating
7.25
Squad number1Player nameButlandAverage rating
6.98
Squad number45Player nameMcCauslandAverage rating
6.65
Squad number2Player nameTavernierAverage rating
6.60
Squad number4Player nameLundstramAverage rating
6.59
Squad number27Player nameBalogunAverage rating
6.46
Squad number21Player nameSterlingAverage rating
6.44
Squad number9Player nameDessersAverage rating
6.43
Squad number13Player nameCantwellAverage rating
6.43
Squad number31Player nameBarisicAverage rating
6.37
Squad number5Player nameSouttarAverage rating
6.21
Squad number25Player nameRoofeAverage rating
6.02
Squad number38Player nameKingAverage rating
5.88
Squad number17Player nameMatondoAverage rating
5.74
Squad number15Player nameCifuentesAverage rating
4.24
DundeeAvgSquad number10Player nameCameronAverage rating
4.98
Squad number9Player nameBakayokoAverage rating
4.88
Squad number31Player nameCarsonAverage rating
4.79
Squad number23Player nameBoatengAverage rating
4.67
Squad number5Player nameShaughnessyAverage rating
4.62
Squad number17Player nameMcCowanAverage rating
4.57
Squad number29Player namePortalesAverage rating
4.53
Squad number18Player nameReillyAverage rating
4.43
Squad number20Player nameRuddenAverage rating
4.33
Squad number12Player nameLamieAverage rating
4.31
Squad number7Player nameTiffoneyAverage rating
4.27
Squad number6Player nameMcGheeAverage rating
4.26
Squad number25Player nameDonnellyAverage rating
4.15
Squad number2Player nameKerrAverage rating
4.02
Squad number16Player nameRobinsonAverage rating
3.97
Source: bbc.com