Rangers face title elimination in crucial Tynecastle clash with Hearts
Rangers must defeat Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts at Tynecastle on Monday to avoid being eliminated from a dramatic title race.
Danny Rohl’s side know another loss to the Edinburgh club would leave them seven points adrift with just three matches remaining.
Failing to capitalise on a chaotic season for reigning champions Celtic would be viewed as a massive missed opportunity at Ibrox.
The Glasgow giants have outspent the current league leaders tenfold, investing over £40m across the last two transfer windows.
Costly inconsistencies
Despite that heavy financial outlay, the title challengers have struggled to maintain momentum when it matters most.
After sacking Russell Martin in October following a dismal start to the campaign, the club clawed back a 13-point deficit under their new boss.
A crucial victory over Derek McInnes’ side at Ibrox in February briefly closed the gap at the top to just two points.
However, the Light Blues immediately surrendered that momentum by dropping points against bottom-club Livingston and blowing a two-goal lead against Celtic.
Tynecastle fortress
The visitors now face the daunting task of breaching a stadium where the league leaders remain unbeaten all season.
Hearts are chasing a historic achievement, aiming to secure their first Scottish top-flight crown since 1960.
Claudio Braga recently described the prospect of the Tynecastle outfit lifting the trophy as a beautiful story for global football.
We like to play from a hunter position and now we want to hunt again.
Those were the defiant words of Rohl ahead of Monday’s decisive encounter in the capital.
His squad missed a golden chance to apply pressure last weekend, suffering a damaging 3-2 home defeat to Motherwell right after the Premiership split.
With Celtic faltering through two managerial sackings and caretaker spells by Martin O’Neill, the stage was perfectly set for an Ibrox coronation.
Instead, they must conquer the ultimate underdog to keep their fading championship dreams alive.