Dundee United vs Rangers - prediction, team news, lineups

Dundee United and Rangers volition get their 2026-27 Scottish Premiership campaigns underway erstwhile they conscionable astatine Tannadice Park connected Friday night. 

The hosts finished seventh successful the top-flight past term, portion the visitors placed 3rd successful 2025-26.

Match preview

Dundee United, aft the superb fourth-placed decorativeness successful their archetypal twelvemonth backmost successful the Scottish Premiership, disappointingly missed retired connected different top-half decorativeness arsenic they dropped to seventh successful 2025-26. 

Jim Goodwin's broadside had a peculiarly challenging extremity to the campaign, losing 2 and drafting 2 of their last 4 matches, but the Tangerines person started the 2026-27 play successful considerably stronger fashion. 

Dundee United won 3 and mislaid lone 1 of their 4 Scottish League Cup radical fixtures, securing a first-placed decorativeness successful Group B to guarantee their spot successful the adjacent round. 

However, the Tangerines failed to support that momentum heading into the Scottish Premiership run arsenic they mislaid 3-2 to Salford City successful a affable fixture past weekend. 

The Tangerines volition beryllium anxious to rapidly retrieve from that nonaccomplishment and get their 2026-27 league run disconnected to a winning start, though that would necessitate beating Rangers for the archetypal clip since August 2021 - losing 9 and drafting 4 of the consequent 13 clashes.

Meanwhile, Rangers - who finished 3rd successful 2025-26 - caput into the opening crippled of the play having enjoyed an encouraging pre-season nether caller manager Derek McInnes. 

Following the departure of Danny Rohl to Red Bull Salzburg successful June, McInnes was swiftly appointed, arriving astatine Ibrox conscionable weeks aft heartbreakingly missing retired connected the 2025-26 Scottish Premiership rubric with Hearts, arsenic Celtic clinched the crown connected the last day.

The caller Gers brag started his tenure with a 2-1 triumph against Saint-Etienne, followed by a 0-0 gully with West Ham United, and helium volition beryllium anxious to get disconnected to an arsenic beardown commencement successful his archetypal competitory lucifer successful complaint connected Friday. 

McInnes was expected to beryllium absent from the dugout aft receiving a three-match SFA suspension pursuing comments astir referee John Beaton astatine the extremity of past season, but the prohibition has since been enactment connected clasp aft Rangers confirmed their volition to motorboat an appeal. 

McInnes will, therefore, beryllium connected the sideline for the brushwood with Dundee United, successful which Rangers volition beryllium hoping to unafraid an opening-day triumph for the archetypal clip since beating Livingston 2-1 nether Giovanni van Bronckhorst successful 2022-23.

Rangers bash person a formidable caller grounds successful this fixture, winning 9 of the past 13 meetings, portion McInnes has besides won six and drawn 3 of his past 9 encounters with the Tangerines - past suffering decision to Dundee United portion manager of Kilmarnock successful November 2022 (4-0).

Dundee United signifier (all competitions):

Rangers signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Dundee United volition beryllium without Miller Thomson owed to an ankle injury, portion Goodwin should person the remainder of the squad disposable to prime from. 

Lachlan Rose, who arrived from Newcastle Jets earlier this summer, has already scored 3 goals during Dundee United's Scottish League Cup radical campaign, and the striker could commencement alongside Zac Sapsford and chap summertime signing Jesse Randall successful attack.

Further back, Jack James Walton has conceded conscionable 1 extremity successful his archetypal 4 competitory games for the Tangerines, and the keeper volition beryllium hoping to grounds different cleanable expanse connected Friday. 

As for Rangers, McInnes has confirmed that Nicolas Raskin volition not feature, portion Jose Cifuentes and Ross McCrorie are some doubts owed to injury. 

Several caller signings are expected to marque their competitory debuts connected Friday, including Lawrence Shankland and Cameron Devlin, who some arrived alongside McInnes from Hearts. 

Shankland could commencement conscionable down Youssef Chermiti successful attack, portion Devlin whitethorn diagnostic alongside Dan Neil astatine the basal of midfield.

Dundee United imaginable starting lineup:

Walton; Naamo, Iovu, Forbes, Ferry; Camara, Tait, Eskesen; Randall, Rose, Sapsford

Rangers imaginable starting lineup:

Pandur; Sterling, Fernandez, Godfrey, Rommens; Neil, Devlin; Curtis, Shankland, Gassama; Chermiti

We say: Dundee United 0-2 Rangers

Rangers and McInnes some boast awesome records against Dundee United, and with the Gers squad anxious to marque a beardown archetypal content nether their caller boss, the visitors are expected to travel distant with each 3 points.

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