Rangers beat Aberdeen 1-0 for first league win of season

Rangers secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Sunday, August 30, 2026, easing pressure on manager Derek McInnes after a difficult start to the season. Captain Lawrence Shankland scored the decisive penalty in the 69th minute to deliver the club's first William Hill Premiership win of the campaign.

The win was a significant relief for McInnes, who had faced mounting scrutiny following a string of poor results. Since moving from Hearts in the summer, the manager had overseen only two wins in seven matches, including exits from the Europa League qualifiers and the Europa Conference League playoff. The defeat to Czech side Jablonec on Thursday, August 27, had left the team and its supporters in a low state. McInnes admitted that the performance at Pittodrie was the first time this season he had truly enjoyed watching his team.

"Probably for the first time this season, I've really enjoyed watching the team," McInnes said. "We know when you come here you can't be sparkling for 90 minutes but you need to compete, and you need to bring quality, and I thought we did all that in abundance today. Strong performance, deserved win."