Our pick2–1Missed
Rangers look to pull clear as Hearts threaten to close the gap
Rangers head to Tynecastle second in the Premiership, four points ahead of Hearts. Both sides are in the top four, and the result will shape who keeps pace with the leaders.
📍 Tynecastle Park
Preview written:
All Matchday 11 matchesFull head-to-head
Match report
Rangers and Heart Of Midlothian drew 2-2 in the Premiership. Kevin Kelsy put Rangers ahead in the 16th minute with an assist from Ryan Naderi. Claudio Rafael Soares Braga levelled for Heart Of Midlothian in the 48th minute, assisted by Malachi Walcott, and Calvin Miller put Heart Of Midlothian ahead in the 57th with no assist recorded. Olwethu Makhanya equalised for Rangers in the 89th minute, assisted by Badredine Bouanani. There were no red cards.
The match was closely matched in shots on target (6–6) and corners (4–4), with Rangers edging possession 53% to 47% and higher xG (2.26 vs 1.75). Top-rated player: K. Kelsy (7.9). PreviaXI had predicted 2-1 with home win 41%, draw 26%, away win 33%.
Goals
- 16'Kevin Kelsy · Ryan Naderi · Rangers
- 48'Claudio Rafael Soares Braga · Malachi Walcott · Heart Of Midlothian
- 57'Calvin Miller · Heart Of Midlothian
- 89'Olwethu Makhanya · Badredine Bouanani · Rangers
Cards
- 4'Nicolas Raskin · Rangers
- 44'Emmanuel Fernandez · Rangers
- 61'James Penrice · Rangers
- 66'Wouter Vrancken · Heart Of Midlothian
- 70'Badredine Bouanani · Rangers
- 72'Jordi Altena · Heart Of Midlothian
- 87'Sabah Kerjota · Heart Of Midlothian
Match stats
⭐ Top-rated player: K. Kelsy (Rangers) 7.9
Ratings and statistics: API-Football.
Confirmed lineups
Heart Of Midlothian · 4-2-3-1
- 1B. ReusG
- 23J. AltenaD
- 64M. Fagan-WalcottD
- 5J. McCartD
- 74R. MatoD
- 78L. MendyM
- 22T. MagnússonM
- 29S. KerjotaM
- 7C. MillerM
- 15J. McPakeM
- 10Cláudio BragaF
Coach: W. Vrancken
Rangers · 4-2-3-1
- 1I. PandurG
- 21D. SterlingD
- 37E. FernandezD
- 24O. MakhanyaD
- 29J. PenriceD
- 43N. RaskinM
- 6D. NeilM
- 10Minsu KimM
- 20R. NaderiM
- 23D. GassamaM
- 19K. KelsyF
Coach: D. McInnes
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| · | Scored | Conceded |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Of Midlothian | 2.2 | 1.5 |
| Rangers | 1.7 | 0.7 |
League position
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Rangers | 10 | +10 | 23 |
| 3 | Heart Of Midlothian | 10 | +7 | 19 |
Last meetings
- 2026Heart Of Midlothian2-1Rangers
- 2026Rangers4-2Heart Of Midlothian
- 2025Heart Of Midlothian2-1Rangers
- 2025Rangers0-2Heart Of Midlothian
- 2025Heart Of Midlothian1-3Rangers
PreviaXI model
Model confidence: Open game
- Predicted score
- 2-1
- Expected goals (model)
- 1.50 – 1.35
- Double chance
- 12 · 74%1X 67% · X2 59%
- Over 2.5 goals
- 54%Over 1.5: 78% · Over 3.5: 32%
- Both teams score
- 58%
- Clean sheet
- 26% – 22%Heart Of Midlothian–Rangers
- Half-time result
- X · 41%1 32% · 2 27%
- Half-time / full-time
- 1/1 · 24%2/2 20% · X/X 15%
- Expected corners
- 10.25.0 – 5.2 · Over 9.5: 57%
- Expected cards
- 4.41.9 – 2.5 · Over 3.5: 65%
- Most likely scores
- 1-112%
- 2-19%
- 1-08%
- 1-28%
- 0-17%
Statistical model based on expected goals (xG), results and match statistics from the last two seasons. For information only. How our model works →
Rangers travel to Tynecastle Park sitting second in the Premiership with 23 points from 10 games, four clear of Heart of Midlothian in third. With seven wins from ten, they can use this visit to stretch their cushion, or show they can handle a rival pushing hard for the same places.
A four-point gap in the top four
Both clubs are in the top four of a 12-team league, so this is less a title story than a question of who stays close to the leaders. A Hearts win would cut the gap to a single point. A Rangers victory would open it to seven, a sizeable margin this early in the campaign.
Form on either side of the city
Rangers have been difficult to beat away from home this season. They have won three and drawn two of their five road games, and have not lost on the road. Across their last five matches they have scored 11 and conceded just three, and their standings run reads WDWWW.
Hearts are formidable at Tynecastle. They have won all four home games this season, scoring 13 and conceding only two. Their most recent league run has been more mixed, with a win, a loss, a draw and a further win in their last few outings, and they have conceded as often as they have scored over their last five.
Head-to-head
The rivalry has been tight. Hearts have won three of the last five meetings, including a 2-1 win in May and a 2-0 victory at Ibrox in September. Rangers have answered with a 4-2 win in February and a 3-1 win at Tynecastle in 2025.
Our prediction
PreviaXI’s model favours Hearts, and the football case is clear. Hearts have been hard to beat at home and tend to create chances in front of their own support, while Rangers’ away defence has been reliable. Expect a tight, open contest in which Hearts’ home edge proves decisive, though Rangers will not be easily broken.
Heart Of Midlothian 2-1 Rangers

