Hibernian vs Rangers – Preview, Lineups, Score Prediction | OneFootball

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Fixture: Hibernian  vs Rangers Competition: Scottish Premiership Kick-off: 29th October, 19:45 UK time

Hibernian play host to Rangers at Easter Road tonight amid the backdrop of an unusual start to the Scottish Premiership season this time around.

Following the end of the first nine matches, neither of the two Glasgow teams are on top. The Tony Bloom model at Hearts has been working wonders and they currently enjoy an eight-point lead over their nearest competitors, Celtic, who have just brought in Martin O’Neill as interim boss following Brendan Rodgers’ exit.

The situation is even worse for Rangers, who have endured the worst start to a domestic season in 57 years. They have already played under three separate managers, but are still searching for their best possible combination to bring sustained positive results.

Under the stewardship of Danny Rohl, Rangers have just registered their first home win of the season, but it remains to be seen whether they can build on that.

Rohl has had little time to work on the training pitch and Derek Cornelius revealed there have mostly been squad meetings.

Whether the squad Rangers have assembled over the summer possesses adequate quality still remains a matter of contention, with former Ger Gordon Dalziel insisting the current group just are not capable of long unbeaten runs.

The challenge, therefore, is even bigger for young manager Rohl, whose last stint with Sheffield Wednesday was also one marked with heavy turbulence.

He needs to get the best out of the players he already has on offer at least until the January transfer window and then it is unclear what backing he will get.

In front of Rangers are a side that cannot be discounted in any way. Hibernian have proven that they can be consistent and after finishing in a Europa League spot last term, they currently sit comfortably third in the league table, ahead of Rangers.

Rangers, though, will take confidence from the fact that they have already beaten Hibernian once this season, in the Scottish League Cup.

Recent Form (league)

Hibernian: WWLDD Rangers: WDDWL

Key Men

Hibernian

Despite sitting third, David Gray knows Hibernian have work to do as they have only won three of their nine league games.

The key to their forward play is held by Jamie McGrath. The 29-year-old already has three goals and one assist to his name and is currently the top goalscorer for the team. He could help find the gaps between the Rangers midfield and defence to score the all-important goal that can make the difference.

Skipper Warren O’Hora had to come off in the 70th minute of the match against Aberdeen with a shoulder injury, but thankfully, it was not serious enough and he will be in contention against Rangers. His experience in defence can be crucial for the home side to fend off the visiting team’s attacking threat.

Rangers

Rohl made use of a three-man defence in his first home game against Kilmarnock and got the desired result. He is expected to stick to that and therefore the three central defenders will have a job to do.

John Souttar has been one of the bright spots in an otherwise disappointing Rangers team and he can yet again have a lot resting on his able shoulders. The two wing-backs will have to be equally adept in both their attacking and defensive duties, making sure that there is not too much pressure on the three at the back.

Eventually, though, Rangers simply have to score. They need points on the board to climb up the table and only goals will help them do that. Bojan Miovski has found his shooting boots missing so far. But since he is the senior attacker and has the responsibility to replace Cyriel Dessers, he simply has to break the barrier and start scoring goals soon.

Match Prediction

Since both teams prefer a three-man defence, it is definitely going to be a predominantly attack-minded brand of football on display at Easter Road tonight.

The wing-backs from both teams will play crucial roles. However, in Djeidi Gassama, the away team have a player who can make the difference. Expect to see him step up and make his presence felt under the lights at Easter Road.

Gray will see the match as an opportunity to get at their mighty opponents, who made progress in the Scottish League at their expense, and has already stressed he is seeing high performance levels from his side.

The feeling is though that the weekend win will have boosted confidence inside the Rangers camp enough to secure victory.

Hibernian 0-2 Rangers

Where To Watch?