Rangers......................3

Aberdeen................3

There is a growing confidence about Aberdeen, even though the Pittodrie club have still to score their first premier division victory of the season.

Successive draws with Dundee United and Rangers may not have improved their league position, but there is a burgeoning belief among the players that better times are coming, and the fact that they were able to repeat their great escape at Ibrox - just as they did last season - by recovering after going two goals behind surely strengthens that.

For Rangers, of course, this was another painful episode when amateurish defending cost them a match. Manager Walter Smith described the errors at the back as ''horrendous'' and he knows that they cannot be repeated in Strasbourg tomorrow night when the Ibrox men pick up their second European challenge of the season in the UEFA Cup.

He admitted: ''This is a worry for us because there have been defensive lapses at crucial times in games and these have cost us. There were 20 slack minutes in Gothenburg, for example and then there was today's second-half .

''I was unhappy at the way we lost goals and unhappy at the way we gave the ball away after we had gone two up.''

That, of course, should have been enough for Rangers to clinch the three points. Instead, after Marco Negri's penalty goal just before half time and substitute Jorg Albertz's stunning strike soon after the interval, there were two blunders inside six minutes which brought Aberdeen back into the game.

Somehow when Mike Newell rose inside the six-yard line to power a header into goal, Rangers' third-choice keeper, Theo Snelders, remained rooted to his line.

Then, when Craig Moore had an opportunity to clear the ball on the left touchline he delayed, was caught in possession by David Rowson, and when the ball was whipped towards goal, Billy Dodds turned cleverly and sent in a superb finishing shot. A marvellous strike from the little front man - but one which could have been avoided if Moore had defended decisively.

Then came Brian Laudrup's stunning goal from a position on the bye-line, one which team-mate Paul Gascoigne insisted he had meant, and when you are dealing with such a gifted player it's hard to say other than that the lob was a genuine attempt for goal. It could be the goal of the season!

While Rangers still celebrated being back in front, John Inglis headed the equaliser to allow Aberdeen to return north with a valuable point and, more important, a morale-boosting result for a team which has been under fire since the season began.

Afterwards, the irrepressible Dodds claimed: ''If we can repeat the form we showed this afternoon when we go to Celtic Park next week, then we would have a great chance of winning there. The second half today was the best football we have played all season.

''It says a lot for us that we were able to give our supporters a repeat of what we were able to do at Ibrox last season. We were two goals down then and came back, and we did it again. I know a lot of people have latched onto the fact that we haven't been able to win a league game and the manager has been criticised for that. But once we get that win then the sniping will stop. It is up to the players to get that result.''

Aberdeen manager Roy Aitken seemed under considerably less pressure as he reflected on the game and stressed: ''I have been pleased with the way we have been playing since the start of the season. Unfortunately we have not been getting any rewards in the league so far, though things have been better for us in the Coca-Cola Cup.

''I thought the game today was a great advert for Scottish football and I was pleased again with the way Stephen Glass played. He is an important player for us because he gives us balance down the left side.''

Glass's constant probing down the left flank worried Rangers throughout the afternoon and, even more in the second-half after Alex Cleland had limped off to join the every growing list of Ibrox casualties. That meant changes at the back, and Moore, who took over the Cleland role, was booked for a foul on the youngster soon after the interval.

Rangers must improve in defence soon because further lapses, such as the ones instanced by Smith, may damage them irreparably at home and in Europe.

As well as the booking for Moore, Rangers had Paul Gascoigne (for dissent after Aberdeen's second goal) and Rino Gattuso yellow-carded. The Pittodrie team had three players cautioned - Dodds for a foul on Gattuso and Gary Smith and substitute Ricky Gillies for fouls on Brian Laudrup.

Next games: Rangers v St Johnstone (away); Aberdeen v Celtic (away).