Two teams at opposing ends of the Scottish Premiership table will come together on Wednesday night as relegation-threatened Kilmarnock host Rangers at Rugby Park.
The hosts are ninth in the table but just four points above the drop zone, while the visitors are second in the table with 56 points from 27 matches.
Match preview
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Kilmarnock endured a challenging start to the 2024-25 season, being eliminated from both the Europa League and Conference League in the qualifying rounds, while also crashing out of the Scottish League Cup and failing to win their first six league fixtures.
Killie began the season with three straight losses followed by three draws, leaving them just above the relegation zone, and although they won three of their next four games, their inconsistency has continued in the weeks since.
Derek McInnes's side sit ninth in the Scottish Premiership standings with 31 points from 27 league outings, after eight wins, seven draws and 12 defeats, leaving them only four points above 11th-placed Dundee.
However, they do trail sixth-placed St Mirren by only three points, meaning a run of positive results could see Kilmarnock climb the table and secure a top six finish come the end of the term.
While they will be aiming to begin that streak on Wednesday, the hosts will certainly be the underdogs heading into the matchup with second-placed Rangers.
However, the Gers may be low on confidence after suffering two defeats in their last three outings, including a miserable 1-0 loss to Queen's Park and 2-0 to St Mirren last time out, which Philippe Clement was swiftly dismissed as a result of.
Those results led to the dismissal of Clement after a challenging season at the helm, with the role quickly being handed to Barry Ferguson on an interim basis.
Rangers will be devastated to have lost to St Mirren at the weekend, not only bringing an end to their nine-game unbeaten run in the league, but also meaning they failed to make up ground on league-leading Celtic, who also lost.
In positive news for the Gers, they have been extremely dominant in this fixture in recent history, including victories in four of their last five encounters, losing the remaining clash.
Team News
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The hosts will be without Kyle Vassell (shin) and Stuart Findlay (ankle) due to ongoing injury issues, with neither likely to return to action until early next month.
Kilmarnock's top scorer Bruce Anderson, with eight league goals, has failed to score in his last six league appearances, and Killie will be looking for him to end his goal-drought and make the difference here.
As for the visitors, Connor Barron (unspecified), Dujon Sterling (foot), John Souttar (calf) and Neraysho Kasanwirjo (knee) are all ruled out until next month due to injuries.
After a disappointing 2-0 loss to St Mirren in their most recent outing, may decide to make several changes here, meaning Nedim Bajrami and Tom Lawrence could start.
Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
O'Hara; Lyons, Mayo, Wright, Deas; Murray, Donnelly, Polworth, Ndaba; Watkins, Anderson
Rangers possible starting lineup:
Butland; Tavernier, Propper, Nsiala, Jefte; Diomande, Raskin, Cerny, Bajrami, Lawrence; Igamane
We say: Kilmarnock 0-2 Rangers
Rangers should be extremely motivated to bounce back from their recent defeat with a convincing victory, and given their strong record in this fixture, we expect the visitors to win here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
