Bottom of the league takes on the team sitting at the top this Saturday as Rangers travel to Dens Park to take on Dundee in their latest fixture.
The hosts are yet to win a game this season in the Scottish Premiership, while Steven Gerrard's squad are unbeaten in their last four matches in the division.
Match preview
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Dundee have had a difficult start to the season after being promoted back to the top flight during the 2020-21 campaign, having failed to pick up a victory in the Scottish Premiership which sees them sit at the foot of the table.
Their last fixture in the league was an important one considering it was the Dundee derby - however, it was the Terrors who ended up walking away with three points after an 81st-minute goal by Ian Harkes gave his team the edge.
They then suffered another loss in midweek when they competed in the Scottish League Cup, which is a tournament that Dundee had actually been impressive in until that point.
They faced St Johnstone and were defeated 2-0 after goals in the final 20 minutes of the game ended up knocking out the Dark Blues.
Saturday will now provide another tough challenge for James McPake's men who are struggling to score at the moment, having only found the back of the net four times in their opening six fixtures in the league.
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That is not a problem that the Gers have had, though, scoring 11 times so far, and with Dundee having conceded 12 goals, this will certainly be a real test for them.
However, the Dark Blues have not lost consecutive games in the league this season, and that is something that could provide some confidence as they compete in front of their own fans at Dens Park, where they have not lost in the Scottish Premiership either.
Unlike their opponents, Rangers did secure their place in the semi-final of the Scottish League Cup in midweek when they were able to defeat Livingston 2-0.
The Gers had gone two games without a win prior to that thanks to a loss in the Europa League and then a draw during their most recent Scottish Premiership fixture.
However, they put an end to that run with a dominant performance against the Lions in the cup, with 63% possession and 19 shots as Kemar Roofe and the returning Alfredo Morelos were on hand to score the goals.
Rangers will be wanting a response in the league as well, though, after drawing against Motherwell the last time they competed in the division, seeing their lead cut short to draw 1-1.
With Hibernian and Hearts sitting just one point behind them, Gerrard will be well aware that there is no time to slip up at the moment, making this another crucial game for the club.
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Team News
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Leigh Griffiths is still searching for his first goal since joining Dundee, but despite his struggles he is expected to be the lone striker for this fixture.
Liam Fontaine kept his spot in the team due to Ryan Sweeney being injured, which is set to remain the case for this match, but McPake will be hoping that Jason Cummings has been able to shake his illness which saw him miss the cup game in midweek.
Gerrard was boosted by the return of his talisman Morelos in midweek after he missed the previous league game with a hamstring issue, and he should lead the line once again on Saturday.
John Lundstram was also brought back into the team for the victory against Livingston, while Ryan Kent missed out due to injury, which is set to keep him out of the team this weekend.
Ryan Jack is also unavailable for the Gers as he continues to try and get match fit once again, yet Nathan Patterson has been back training after his ankle problem.
Gerrard will also have Ianis Hagi as an option for his starting XI as he has returned to training following his positive test for COVID-19, which has seen him miss three games.
Dundee possible starting lineup:
Legzdins; Kerr, Fontaine, Ashcroft, Marshall; Anderson, Byrne, McGhee; McMullan, McGowan, Griffiths
Rangers possible starting lineup:
McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic; Lundstram, Kamara, Aribo; Hagi, Roofe, Morelos
We say: Dundee 0-3 Rangers
With Dundee yet to win a game in the league, this would be the perfect match for them to break that record, but it is going to be an incredibly tough test for them.
The Gers are in fantastic form as they look to retain their title, and that is going to make it hard for the Dark Blues, with the attacking qualities of Rangers likely set to be too much for them to handle.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Rangers win with a probability of 65.57%. A draw had a probability of 19.4% and a win for Dundee had a probability of 15%.
The most likely scoreline for a Rangers win was 0-2 with a probability of 10.65%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (9.87%) and 0-1 (9.87%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (9.14%), while for a Dundee win it was 2-1 (4.23%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 9.9% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Rangers would win this match.
