Preview: Rangers vs Motherwell - prediction, team news, lineups

Rangers will be looking to shake off their poor run of form when they welcome Motherwell to Ibrox this Saturday afternoon.

The two teams are separated by just one point in the Scottish Premiership and boast a near-identical goal difference, with both unsuccessfully attempting to close the gap on runaway leaders Hearts.

Match preview

Rangers had an opportunity to give themselves a slight bit of hope in the title race when they travelled to Hearts before Christmas.

However, instead of closing the gap to all their rivals, the Teddy Bears lost the game 2-1 – a result which appears to have completely dashed any title aspirations.

The Scottish giants have not tasted league success since the 2020-21 season, finishing as runners-up to Celtic for the last four years.

It appears Danny Rohl’s side are heading for yet another fruitless season, with the focus not turning to simply securing European football for the following campaign.

Rangers, who are currently fourth in the standings, have only lost two league games this season, though their eight draws this season have seen them fall six points adrift of Celtic and a massive 12 behind league leaders Hearts.

Motherwell have enjoyed a tremendous campaign, with the Steelmen picking up one more point than Rangers and currently in the mix for a European spot.

Jens Berthel Askou’s side have lost just two games this entire league season and boast one of the best defensive records, having conceded just 15 goals this term.

Motherwell are unbeaten in eight matches across all competitions, and they arrive at Ibrox on the back of a 1-0 victory against Dundee FC.

Askou’s men have kept six consecutive clean sheets and have not conceded a goal since late November, keeping their door shut for well over 540 minutes of competitive football.

To top it all off, Motherwell are unbeaten against Rangers in their previous three meetings, and they will be determined to continue that run on Saturday.

Rangers Scottish Premiership form:

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Rangers form (all competitions):

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Motherwell Scottish Premiership form:

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Motherwell form (all competitions):

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Team News

Rangers are missing several players ahead of the weekend, which will not make their upcoming test any easier.

Nasser Djiga, for instance, is currently in Morocco, representing Burkina Faso at the Africa Cup of Nations.

On the injury front, forward Oliver Antman has missed the last five games with a muscle injury and is expected to remain on the sidelines.

Albanian midfielder Nedim Bajrami missed the last three games, and he is also a doubt for the visit of Motherwell.

Derek Cornelius and John Souttar are both struggling with muscle injuries, meaning they are unavailable for selection.

When it comes to the Steelmen, the visitors have their own list of absentees ahead of the weekend.

Forward Tawanda Maswanhise is flying the flag for Zimbabwe at the Africa Cup of Nations and will not be available for a few weeks.

Defender Jordan McGhee has not made a single appearance this season due to a thigh injury, and the same is true for Sam Nicholson, who has been out with a knee injury since February.

Aston Oxborough hurt his hand and remains on the sidelines, while forward Zach Robinson is another long-term injury absentee.

Rangers possible starting lineup:

Butland; Sterling, Fernandez, Tavernier; Barron, Aarons, Raskin, Diomande, Meghoma, Miovski; Moore

Motherwell possible starting lineup:

Ward; Koutroumbis, McGinn, Welsh, Longelo; Fadinger, Watt, Charles-Cook, Just, Slattery; Hendry

We say: Rangers 1-1 Motherwell

There is very little to separate both teams at the moment, meaning we should be in for a very close encounter.

Rangers have home advantage, but losing two of their last three games is unlikely to have built any confidence. Motherwell, on the other hand, have a stellar defensive record – one which they will be looking to continue at Ibrox.

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