Rangers vs Hearts preview: Team news, lineups, prediction
Rangers welcome Hearts to Ibrox on Sunday for a huge clash that could define the title race.
Danny Rohl’s side sit five points behind the league leaders heading into Sunday, dropping a further two points behind after playing out a 1-1 draw with Motherwell.
Nikolas Raskin opened the scoring for Rangers just six minutes in at Fir Park, but Stephen Welsh was on hand to equalise for Motherwell in the dying moments – just a day after Hearts secured victory in the Edinburgh derby via a late Tomas Magnusson winner at Tynecastle.
With Rangers needing a win to keep their title hopes realistic, Sunday’s bout at Ibrox could well define this year’s race for the Scottish Premiership title.
Head-to-head
League leaders Hearts have got the better of Sunday’s hosts twice this term, with the 2-0 win at Ibrox in December followed up by a 2-1 victory back at Tynecastle over the festive period.
Derek McInnes’ side are unbeaten against both Glasgow giants this term – collecting 13 out of a possible 15 points.
Though on a positive note for the hosts, Hearts have not toppled Rangers twice in a season throughout the entire history of this clash.
Form guide
Rangers last five (all competions): DWWDL
Hears last five (all competitions): WLWDD
Team news and predicted lineups
Bailey Rice and Derek Cornelius are expected to return to the fold later this month, after being ruled out since November, while Connor Barron and Max Aarons remain out until later in the year.
Ryan Naderi will be pushing to start after an excellent performance last time out at Ibrox, in the 8-0 thrashing of Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup.
From a Hearts perspective, they go into Sunday’s clash still weakened, with midfielder Cammy Devlin still out alongside top scorer Lawrence Shankland.
Defensively, Stephen Kingsley remains sidelined.
Predicted Rangers lineup – 4-2-3-1: Butland – Tavernier, Souttar, Fernandez, Meghoma – Raskin, Chukwuani – Gassama, Diomande, Moore – Miovski
Predicted Hearts lineup – 4-2-3-1: Schwolow – McEntee, Kent, Findlay, Milne – Leonard, Baningime – Chesnokov, Braga, Kyziridis – Kabore
Prediction: Rangers 2-1 Hearts
Back at Ibrox, Rangers are in desperate need of a result to keep their title hopes alive.
While it would not draw them level on points as envisaged prior to the Motherwell draw, it would reduce the gap at the top back down to two, piling the pressure on Hearts ahead of the final months.
Sunday’s atmosphere should be booming, and that could see Rangers over the line and inflict Hearts with their first defeat from one of the Old Firm this season.
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