Headline: Rangers and Hibs Seek Redemption in Upcoming Premiership Matches Before International Break
The Scottish Premiership is set for another intense round of fixtures before the upcoming international break, featuring six matches scheduled across five kick-off times.
Last weekend proved advantageous for Rangers on multiple fronts, highlighted by a late goal from Ryan Naderi that secured a Premier Sports Cup semi-final victory over Aberdeen. On Sunday, the Premiership leaders, Celtic, suffered a loss to Falkirk, presenting an opportunity for Rangers to narrow the gap to just one point ahead of Celtic’s match against Kilmarnock on Sunday. For this to happen, however, Rangers must overcome St Mirren, who remain unbeaten in their last 11 games, in their away fixture on Saturday.
Rangers previously dropped points during their last Saturday evening match against Dundee. They now face a St Mirren team that recently held Hibernian to a draw and achieved a victory over Dundee. Although Craig McLeish’s side has only won once in eight matches, they narrowly missed out on a win against Rangers in their last encounter, which ended with a late goal from Bojan Miovski separating the two teams.
The Buddies find themselves positioned eighth in the Premiership and are close to breaking into the top six despite a mixed start. They even led against Celtic in a past encounter before losing 2-1 earlier this month, setting the stage for an interesting match under the lights.
Hibs’ Hampden Preparation Begins at Pittodrie
Meanwhile, Hibs, fresh off a League Cup semi-final success over local rivals Heart of Midlothian—coming from behind to win 2-1—seek to improve their Premiership standings before a mid-December Hampden date with Rangers. Under their new Dutch coach, Hibs currently sit at the bottom of the table with just one point from their last four matches.
They will take on Aberdeen on Saturday evening, as the Dons also look for a turnaround after suffering two consecutive league losses prior to their semi-final defeat against Rangers. Despite Hibs and Aberdeen struggling in the league, with only three points separating them, it’s early in the season, and both clubs still have aspirations of finishing in the top six.
Mid-table Battle Intensifies
The previous Saturday’s results left the middle of the Premiership table tightly packed, with several clubs vying for position. This weekend could see similar developments as Dundee United prepares to host Motherwell, and a Tayside derby unfolds between St Johnstone and Dundee, both scheduled for 15:00 GMT on Saturday.
Motherwell recently ended their long wait for a victory with a win against St Mirren, while St Johnstone demonstrated resilience in a 2-2 draw against Kilmarnock despite being reduced to ten men. Historically, Motherwell’s previous 3-0 victory over Dundee United remains their largest win of the season, and Dundee will aim to improve their position, currently trailing both Falkirk and United.
Celtic and Hearts Face Challenges
Celtic rebounded from their defeat to Falkirk with a 3-2 win over Besiktas in the Europa League. In contrast, injury-plagued Hearts suffered a 3-1 loss to Thun in Switzerland, complicating their upcoming league match against in-form Falkirk, as they await respite during the international break.
Celtic currently leads the league with a four-point advantage over Rangers and must navigate their challenge against Kilmarnock, who are struggling near the bottom of the table with only one win in their past six games. Meanwhile, increasing pressure mounts on Hearts to turn their fortunes around as they strive to keep pace in the league.
