Rangers vs Hearts – Preview, Lineups, Score Prediction
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Fixture: Rangers vs Hearts
Competition: Scottish Premiership
Kick-off: 15th February, 16.30 UK Time
Rangers are set to entertain Hearts in a Scottish Premiership clash at Ibrox that holds great importance for both sides.
Hearts are set to visit Ibrox for the second time this season on Sunday for the third league meeting between the two sides. There cannot be a match of greater magnitude than this one as it could have a direct implication on who wins the Scottish Premiership silverware in May.
Derek McInnes’ team currently hold a five point lead at the top but have played a game more than defending champions Celtic.
It is a three-way race though, with Rangers also being in the mix and being tipped to give the other two a run for their money. They lost ground, though, with two draws in their last three league matches – one against Hibernian and the other against Motherwell.
The pressure, therefore, is full on, on Danny Rohl’s side, and the Hearts game has been deemed a must-win.
However, it is not going to be a walk in the park, despite Rangers being at their home where the atmosphere is ‘magic’, according to one of their stars.
Rangers have not won either of the games played so far against Hearts and have conceded four goals. McInnes’ team will, therefore, be confident and perhaps lack the mental fear of previous Jambos sides at Ibrox.
There will also be a managerial factor that should have to be taken into account. At this point in time, there is hardly any Scottish top-flight manager as experienced as the 54-year-old. He has been at the helm of three Scottish clubs before being appointed to execute the Jamestown Analytics model.
His Hearts team are more data driven and the manager will have everything in his hand before visiting Ibrox to take on a team whose manager has been criticised for being too negative in his tactics.
Rohl will leave no stone unturned to make sure that this one is a happy outing for him and his team. So, while for the fans of the two clubs it is expected to be a nervy affair, it is definitely going to be exciting for the neutrals.
Predicted Lineups
Recent Form (league)
Rangers: DWDWW
Hearts: WLWDW
Key Men
Rangers
The big boys have to turn up to the party to deliver for the team at their most crucial period. One of Rangers’ most experienced players right now is their skipper James Tavernier and he will have a huge responsibility resting on his shoulders for the game.
With Hearts trying to defend deep, Tavernier will have to show his pace and ability to deliver crosses to open up the visitors. It will not be a one-way ticket though as he will also have to track back and help out his colleagues in defence.
Rohl raised eyebrows when he left January signing Andreas Skov Olsen on the bench for the match against Motherwell. It would be a mistake to do it yet again, against the league leaders. Skov Olsen has already opened his goalscoring account for Rangers and can provide the crucial last touch or even set up striker Bojan Miovski for the winning goal.
Hearts
The visiting side will first try to make sure that they have their house in order before they go out to attack their opponents.
For the defence to stay intact, six feet three inch defender Stuart Findlay will have to stand tall. The veteran has rescued them on quite a few occasions this season and he can do the same against Rangers on Sunday.
His aerial presence will be counted on not just inside the Hearts box but also in the other half of the pitch where he can be equally lethal, proof of which is the five goals he has scored so far.
Burkina Faso international Pierre Landry Kabore scored a brace against Dundee United but the subsequent two games have failed to produce for him. In the absence of the injured Lawrence Shankland, he will have a lot resting on his shoulders and simply will have to deliver.
If the Hearts midfielders are able to deliver the ball beyond Rangers’ last line of defence, Kabore could prove to be the point of difference between the two teams at the end of the 90 minutes.
Match Prediction
There can hardly be any match as tough as this one to make predictions about. Both teams are going to give it their best shot to end up with all three points at the end of the match. For Rangers it is an opportunity to bridge the gap at the top and for Hearts it is an opportunity to consolidate.
Hearts have shown that they are not going to be intimidated by the gigantic stature of the two Glasgow teams. They have the model in place to succeed and against Rangers, McInnes can unleash the best of it.
For Rangers, Rohl has to let go of his inhibitions and let his players play the way they can. The presence of the newcomers can be crucial at the end of the game and it would not be surprising to see another January arrival, Ryan Naderi, who has been tipped to become the first-choice striker, come off the bench to score.
Inside Futbol Score Prediction
Rangers 2-2 Hearts
Where To Watch?
The Rangers vs Hearts match will be shown live in the UK on the Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra channels with a 16:30 kick-off.
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