Rangers, looking to recover from a recent string of inconsistent league performances, are set to host Hearts at Ibrox Stadium in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday evening.
The hosts are third in the standings with 19 points from 10 matches, already nine points behind the top two, while the visitors are 11th in the table with nine points from 12 games.
Match preview
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Rangers, and particularly manager Philippe Clement, have faced intense criticism in the early stages of the season, as the Gers have struggled to fire on all cylinders thus far.
Clement's side already trail the top two in the Scottish Premiership by nine points after just 10 matches, having dropped points on four occasions, including one draw and three defeats.
After a challenging start to the campaign, that saw them win just one of their opening four games across all competitions, the Gers appeared to have improved as they went on to win six of the following seven, only losing to Celtic in that time.
However, their form has nosedived once again in recent fixtures, with Rangers having won just four of their last eight outings across all competitions, including one draw and three defeats.
Two of those losses have come in their last three Scottish Premiership matches, with defeats to Kilmarnock (1-0) and Aberdeen (2-1), leaving Clement under increasing pressure and his side in desperate need of all three points here.
While their opponents are the weaker team heading into the tie, Hearts have been significantly improved since the arrival of new permanent manager Neil Critchley.
The Jambos started the campaign under the guidance of Steven Naismith, but the former boss was sacked just nine matches into the season after Hearts had recorded one draw and suffered eight consecutive defeats.
Liam Fox was left in charge of the side on an initial interim basis, securing one win, one draw and one defeat in his three games, with Critchley eventually being appointed as the new permanent boss.
The former Blackpool manager has had an immediate impact at Hearts, fantastically winning 4-0 in his opening match against St Mirren, followed by two wins, two defeats and a draw in the next five games.
Most encouraging for the Jambos has been the level of performance in all their matches since Critchley's arrival, with Hearts dominating nearly every game since his appointment.
Aiming to continue his superb start at Hearts, Critchley and his side will look to record a statement win against a stuttering Rangers side, a result that could lift the visitors out of the relegation zone depending on results elsewhere.
Team News
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Oscar Cortes, Rabbi Matondo and Tom Lawrence are all expected to be unavailable for this match, though all three are likely to return to action after the upcoming international break.
Club captain James Tavernier was surprisingly omitted from their midweek meeting with Olympiacos in favour of Dujon Sterling, but we expect the captain to be reinstated to the starting team here.
Cyriel Dessers got on the scoresheet for the second consecutive game last time out, marking his first goals since late September, and the striker is anticipated to start again here.
As for the visitors, Calem Nieuwenhof, Gerald Taylor and Yutaro Oda are all sidelined for this match due to ongoing injury concerns.
Despite a 2-0 defeat to Heidenheim in their last match, Critchley will likely be encouraged by his side's strong performance and could name a similar side here, with hopes they can replicate that display with a greater clinical edge here.
Rangers possible starting lineup:
Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Propper, Jefte; Barron, Raskin; Cerny, Diomande, Bajrami; Dessers
Hearts possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Forrester, Kent, Rowles, Penrice; Boateng, Baningime, Spittal; Forrest, Shankland, Dhanda
We say: Rangers 2-1 Hearts
With Rangers faltering in recent matches, we expect them to face a tough challenge against a reinvigorated Hearts side, but we ultimately believe the Gers will narrowly prevail.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
