DROPPED POINTS ARE COSTLY IN TITLE RACE

Time will tell what the full ramifications of this draw are. Come the end of the campaign, Rangers could well look back at it as one of the defining moments in their Premiership defence.

It was, of course, at Tannadice where the champions lost their unbeaten run earlier in the season and the points squandered here leave them very much on the back foot heading into the final handful of fixtures this term.

The feelgood factor from the win over Borussia Dortmund was great at Ibrox but this was the game that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side simply had to win. Their failure to do so could well be costly as they lost more momentum in the top flight.

RANGERS PAY PRICE FOR PROFLIGACY IN FRONT OF GOAL

Quite how Van Bronckhorst’s side only managed to score once at Tannadice will be a source of mystery and misery for some time to come.

It certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort. But a lack of quality and composure ultimately came back to bite Rangers on an afternoon where they dominated the ball but didn’t get their rewards.

United defended brilliantly as bodies were put on the line and Benji Siegrist made a string of excellent saves but Rangers created more than enough chances to win here. In the end, they just couldn’t take them on what was one of those afternoons in front of goal.

MADDEN KEY PENALTY CALLS GO AGAINST CHAMPIONS

Rangers benefitted from VAR in midweek as they were rightly awarded a penalty and Alfredo Morelos scored after an offside check. If only the system was in place at Tannadice.

Referee Bobby Madden inexplicably failed to spot a handball from Ross Graham in the first half as he failed to get his arm out of the way of a Charlie Mulgrew clearance. It was a spot kick all day long, but it wasn’t given.

The decision not to penalise Graham for a shirt pull on Fashion Sakala midway through the second period was just as unfathomable from Madden and his officials. Already on a booking, it should have seen Graham’s afternoon come to an early end.