Rangers face must-win Scottish title clash against leaders Hearts
Rangers must overcome a four-point deficit against Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts at Tynecastle on Monday to keep their fading title hopes alive.
The Ibrox club suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat against Motherwell last week, dropping to third place in a highly competitive post-split battle.
Celtic had previously secured a comfortable 3-1 victory over Falkirk to maintain their own aggressive championship push.
If Martin O’Neill’s side defeat Hibernian on Sunday, the Glasgow giants will also move four points clear of their city rivals.
Tactical rethink required for Rohl
Rangers manager Danny Rohl faces severe tactical dilemmas following a sobering first-half display against Jens Berthel Askou’s Motherwell.
The German head coach watched his preferred 4-2-2-2 system get completely overrun in midfield before a half-time switch to a 4-3-3 formation sparked a brief revival.
Substitutes Mohamed Diomande and Mikey Moore helped drag the hosts back into the contest, only for the fearless visitors to snatch a late winner.
Rohl must now decide whether to abandon the shape that previously secured an impressive 4-2 victory over Hearts in February.
Tynecastle fortress awaits
Hearts have yet to lose a home match in the Premiership this season, setting a formidable challenge for the travelling Rangers squad.
The Edinburgh outfit showed immense resilience in their last outing by overcoming nine-man Hibernian in a fraught capital derby.
Rohl’s tactical choices ahead of the crucial trip may depend heavily on the fitness of key duo Ryan Naderi and Tuur Rommens.
Club captain Lawrence Shankland has made the league leaders’ intentions perfectly clear ahead of the Monday evening showdown.
“We will be aiming to eliminate Rangers from the title race in what could be one of the biggest Tynecastle matches.”