Rangers and Hearts face off in an important Scottish Premiership match at Ibrox on Sunday, with just five points between them at the top of the table and 11 games left to play.
Hearts are looking for their first league title since 1960 and come into the match after a big win over Hibernian in the Edinburgh derby. Rangers, however, recently dropped points in a draw against Motherwell, losing momentum in the title chase.
Rangers vs Hearts – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 15th February.
- Kick-off: 4:30pm BST.
- Venue: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow.
Rangers team news
Rangers coach Danny Röhl has been tight-lipped about team availability, mentioning he has “learned not to talk about availability too early” after facing criticism over player selection for their draw against Motherwell.
Max Aarons missed the trip to Fir Park, while Connor Barron and Derek Cornelius remain injured. Midfielder Bailey Rice is also out.
Despite these challenges, Rangers are expected to field an aggressive lineup, aiming to close the gap on Hearts, with Jack Butland in goal and a defensive line featuring James Tavernier, Mohamed Diomande, Mikey Moore, and Bojan Miovski likely to start.
Röhl has emphasized the importance of this match, calling a win over Hearts “huge” for their season, especially as they aim to reduce the points difference from 13 to just two.
Hearts team news
Hearts coach Derek McInnes will be without midfielders Cammy Devlin and Calem Nieuwenhof, as well as forward Lawrence Shankland and defender Stephen Kingsley, who is still recovering from injury.
On a positive note, Craig Halkett returns from suspension, reinforcing a defence that includes Frankie Kent and Harry Milne, who have been consistent performers.
McInnes has praised his team’s determination after their derby win, emphasizing their hard work and unity as reasons for their position at the top of the table.
Form
Rangers
Rangers come into this match following a disappointing 1-1 draw against 10-man Motherwell, a result that prevented them from narrowing the gap with Hearts.
Overall, Rangers have drawn 10 of their 26 league matches, more than any of their competitors, but still sit second with 14 wins, 10 draws, and only two losses, totaling 52 points and a goal difference of +24.
Hearts
Hearts lead the league with 17 wins, six draws, and just three losses from 26 matches, giving them 57 points and a +28 goal difference.
This performance puts Hearts five points ahead of Rangers, boosted by Magnusson’s late goal against Hibs and Rangers’ draw with Motherwell.
Predicted lineups
Rangers: Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Djiga, Meghoma; Raskin, Chukwuani; Gassama, Diomande, Moore; Miovski.
Hearts: Schwolow; McEntee, Kent, Findlay, Milne; Leonard, Magnusson; Chesnokov, Braga, Kyziridis; Kabore.
How to watch Rangers vs Hearts?
Viewers in the UK can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
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