Rangers will be looking to follow up their impressive comeback win in Europe by securing all three points in the Scottish Premiership when they welcome St Johnstone to Ibrox on Saturday.
The visitors, meanwhile, will be aiming to secure back-to-back away victories in the top flight after claiming maximum points at Motherwell last weekend.
Match preview
European nights involving Rangers at Ibrox are never dull and the Glaswegian giants delivered once again on home soil as they bounced back from a 2-0 first-leg defeat against Union SG to win the return fixture 3-0 on Tuesday, securing a 3-2 aggregate victory to book their place in the Champions League playoff round.
Goals from James Tavernier, Antonio Colak and Malik Tillman helped Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men claim yet another comeback victory, after previously coming from behind against the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig on their route to last season's Europa League final.
PSV Eindhoven now stand in their way of reaching the Champions League group stage for the first time in over a decade.
Before their first-leg clash with the Dutch side next Tuesday, Rangers will turn their attention back to the Premiership as they bid to extend their unbeaten top-flight run against St Johnstone to 14 matches.
The Gers won their first two Premiership games of the new season, coming from behind to beat Livingston 2-1 on the opening weekend before securing a 2-0 home win over newly-promoted Kilmarnock last weekend.
After suffering a late defeat to Hibernian on the opening weekend of the new season, St Johnstone secured a dramatic 2-1 victory away at Motherwell last Saturday.
A Graham Carey own goal in the 91st-minute cancelled out Jamie Murphy's first-half opener with the Steelmen seemingly on course to rescue a point, but a 94th-minute strike from substitute Stevie May ensured that the Saints came away with all three points.
Callum Davidson's men have now won three of their last four competitive matches, including two victories in the League Cup, but they may struggle to continue their good run of form against Rangers this weekend.
St Johnstone are currently enduring a run of 373 minutes without scoring a top-flight goal at Ibrox, failing to find the net in each of their last four visits. A penalty from Blair Alston in a 5-1 defeat in September 2018 was the last league goal scored by the Saints on Rangers' turf.
However, their last win in any competition against Rangers was in February last year with goalkeeper Zander Clark scoring a dramatic extra-time equaliser to send their Scottish Cup quarter-final tie to penalties before the Saints won 2-1 in the shootout.
- W
- W
- W
- L
- W
- W
- L
- W
- L
- L
- W
- W
- L
- W
Team News
Rangers welcomed the return of winger Ryan Kent to the starting lineup in midweek, after recovering from an ankle injury, and the Englishman is expected to start again on the left side of an attacking front three.
However, Van Bronckhorst is unable to call upon Ianis Hagi, Filip Helander and Kemar Roofe who all remain sidelined with injuries.
Alfredo Morelos, who came off the bench to score against Kilmarnock last weekend, will be pushing to start ahead of Colak, while the likes of Ryan Jack, Glen Kamara and Scott Wright could all return to the first XI after beginning on the bench in midweek.
As for St Johnstone, David Wotherspoon, Chris Kane, Callum Booth and Tony Gallacher are all set to remain sidelined with injuries.
Murray Davidson is available after serving a one-match suspension last weekend and the midfielder could replace Cameron MacPherson in the first XI.
Canadian Theo Bair could be handed a third successive league start up front ahead of Stevie May, while Graham Carey and former Rangers man Murphy are expected to provide support in attack.
Rangers possible starting lineup:
McLaughlin; Tavernier, Goldson, Sands, Barisic; Kamara, Jack, Tillman; Lawrence, Colak, Kent
St Johnstone possible starting lineup:
Matthews; McGowan, Mitchell, Considine; Wright, Davidson, Hallberg, Montgomery; Carey, Murphy; Bair
We say: Rangers 2-0 St Johnstone
Rangers were initially frustrated by both Livingston and Kilmarnock in their opening two league fixtures before eventually coming away with maximum points on both occasions.
A resilient performance is required from St Johnstone if they are to keep the Gers quiet this weekend, but we feel that the hosts will have too much quality in attack for the visitors and should do enough to maintain their 100% start to the new Premiership season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
body check tags ::
Previews by email
