Rangers can strengthen their hold on second place when they face a Falkirk side also pushing for a spot in the Scottish Championship playoffs at Ibrox this weekend.

The Gers are already assured of a spot in the playoffs, while Falkirk need to win their final two matches of the season to stand a chance.

Rangers

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Stuart McCall's side are the in-form team in Scotland's second tier, having picked up their fourth win in six outings with a comfortable 3-1 win over Dumbarton last time out.

Rangers' chances of securing a third straight promotion will be boosted by a second-place finish behind champions Hearts, as third and fourth will face each other before taking on second for the right to face the 11th-placed finishers in the Premiership.

With Hibernian still a point behind Rangers in the current standings, victory in this match would be enough to seal a second-placed finish for the Gers ahead of their final match of the campaign against Hearts next week.

The Ibrox side seem to be getting stronger as the campaign progresses, with Ryan Hardie netting a brace on his full debut for the team last time out, giving McCall another player to turn to should his side need goals.

Only Hearts have scored more goals in the Championship than Rangers this season, with the Glasgow side finding the back of the net 65 times so far this campaign, averaging just under two goals per match.

Rangers have been particularly formidable at home this season, losing just three of their 17 fixtures at Ibrox and winning 10.

Off-the-pitch matters have continued to make the news over the last week though, with the club being handed a £5,500 fine for breaching Scottish FA rules over Mike Ashley's involvement in the club.

Recent form: WWLWDW

Falkirk

Falkirk's hopes of making the top four have been dealt a blow in recent weeks, with back-to-back defeats in the league, including a 1-0 loss to playoff rivals Queen of the South last time out.

The club's attention has been elsewhere though, with Falkirk beating Hibernian 1-0 in the Scottish Cup semi-final to set up a final meeting with Inverness Caledonian Thistle next month.

With five points now separating Falkirk and fourth-placed Queen of the South, Peter Houston knows that his side must win their final two fixtures and hope that their rivals slip up in order to secure a playoff spot.

Falkirk have been strong defensively this season, keeping 12 clean sheets in the league, the same number as this weekend's opponents.

Playing away from home has not been a concern for Falkirk either, with the Bairns claiming seven wins from 17 matches on the road, the same number that they have won at Falkirk Stadium.

Prior to their two most recent defeats in the league, Falkirk had been in good form, losing just twice in their last 14 matches in the Championship.

Recent form: WLWWLL
Recent form (all competitions): LWWLLW

Team News

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Stuart McCall has confirmed that Ian Black is the only player missing from his squad for this match, with the midfielder serving a suspension.

Jon Daly and Richard Foster are both back in training after picking up knocks earlier this month, meaning that they could return for this fixture, while Kenny Miller is available despite carrying a hamstring injury.

The visitors will have John Baird to come in, as he was cup-tied for the Scottish Cup semi-final last time out, while Rory Loy remains a doubt after picking up a knock in the quarter-final in March, but he is expected back before the end of the season.

Luke Leahy will be missing though, as he is suspended for picking up a fifth booking of the campaign during the team's loss to Queen of the South last time out.

Rangers possible starting lineup:
Bell, McGregor, McCulloch, Zaliukas, Wallace, Vuckic, Murdoch, Law, Walsh, Boyd, Clark

Falkirk possible starting lineup:
MacDonald, Duffie, McCracken, Grant, Baird, Taiwo, Vaulks, Sibbald, Bia Bi, Muirhead, Alston

Head To Head

Including a meeting in the Scottish League Cup, this will be the fifth time that these two sides have come up against each other this season, and Falkirk are yet to take a win over this weekend's hosts, with Rangers winning three and drawing once so far this campaign.

On their last trip to Ibrox, Falkirk were thrashed 4-0, although they did pick up a points last time the two sides met in February at Falkirk Stadium.

In 33 fixtures between these two sides, Falkirk have won just twice, both times at home, and most recently in the 2011-12 campaign when they knocked Rangers out of the League Cup, leaving the Gers unbeaten in their last seven games against this weekend's visitors.

We say: Rangers 3-1 Falkirk

Falkirk will certainly be pushing for victory in a bid to keep their chances of reaching the playoffs alive, so will not be able to sit back and defend against the in-form Rangers, which should leave the home side plenty of room to get forward and put their opponents under pressure. The visitors will not make it easy, but McCall's side should have enough to break Falkirk down, particularly if last weekend's cup match takes its toll.

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