Credit: Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky on X_

James Barker

Sun 26 April 2026 20:40, UK

Kris Boyd believes Rangers have to beat Hearts on 4 May, and if not, then their Scottish Premiership title hopes will be over.

Indeed, it was a frustrating Sunday afternoon at Ibrox, as Rangers fell to a 3-2 defeat to Motherwell.

Jens Berthel Askou’s side took a two-goal lead inside the opening 25 minutes of the game, before Danny Rohl made a triple substitution at half-time in the hopes his team could complete a remarkable second-half comeback.

They almost did exactly that, as goals from Youssef Chermiti and Nicolas Raskin had Gers level at 2-2 with 20 minutes to play.

However, Motherwell won the game in the 90th minute thanks to Emmanuel Longelo, dealing Rangers a crushing blow to their title hopes with just four more matches to play.

What Kris Boyd said about Rangers’ title chances post-Motherwell

Rangers were favourites to win the Scottish Premiership ahead of matchday 34, but their odds of doing so will no doubt have lengthened following the weekend’s results.

Celtic were able to beat Falkirk 3-1 at Parkhead, whilst Hearts avoided a big scare away at Hibernian, having snatched a 2-1 win despite David Gray’s side being down to nine men from the 48th minute onwards.

So, Rohl and Rangers were afforded no favours on Sunday, as they now sit four points adrift of Hearts in third, with Derek McInnes’ men next on Gers’ agenda.

The two sides will clash at Tynecastle on 4 May in what will be the biggest game of the Scottish Premiership season so far, with the Edinburgh side knowing that a win for them could knock Rangers out of the title race.

Or at least, that’s the feeling that former Rangers striker and Sky Sports Scotland pundit Boyd thinks will be the case if Gers don’t emerge from their trip to Tynecastle with a victory.

Speaking on Sky Sports Scotland from Easter Road in the aftermath of Hearts’ aforementioned win there, Boyd said: “Rangers are under huge pressure to go to Tynecastle and win. They’ve not lost there all season.

“Rangers have to go there and win, or it’s done. Celtic will be sitting at home buzzing with that result at Ibrox.

“Them, you look at Hibs going and winning here (Easter Road) today, it might have been them saying: ‘this could be ours again.

“But Hearts have just found another way to go and keep winning a game of football, and ask questions of Glasgow’s big two.”

Hearts look nervy as well despite Hibernian win

1960 was the last time Hearts were crowned champions of Scotland: there is absolutely going to be nerves in their camp.

That group of players and coaching staff know they’re on the brink of forever cementing their place in Tynecastle legend, and with every passing week they get closer to achieving that, the pressure also grows.

So, whilst they may have beaten Hibernian on Sunday, they did so by the skin of their teeth thanks to an 86th-minute winner, against a side that saw their goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger sent off after 14 minutes, before wing-back Felix Passlack saw red on 48 minutes.

Of course, finding ways to consistently win games of football are what good teams do, but Hearts got away with one at Easter Road, and that should fill Rangers with belief going into a daunting Tynecastle test.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Govan.