Preview: Dundee vs. Rangers - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to region themselves from the ongoing relegation conflict successful the Scottish Premiership, Dundee are acceptable to big Rangers astatine Kilmac Stadium connected Thursday night.

The hosts are eighth successful the array with 25 points from 21 games, conscionable 2 points supra 11th-placed Hearts, portion the visitors are 2nd successful the standings with 40 points from 20 outings.

Match preview

© Imago

Dundee earned promotion backmost to the apical formation by winning the Scottish Championship rubric successful 2022-23, and aft a beardown showing backmost successful the Premiership successful 2023-24, finishing sixth, they person struggled successful the opening fractional of this campaign.

Tony Docherty, successful complaint since May 2023, has led the broadside to conscionable 7 wins, 4 draws and 10 defeats from their archetypal 21 matches of the season, leaving them eighth successful the array with 25 points.

Those results mean Dundee are presently embroiled successful the ongoing relegation conflict successful the Scottish Premiership, holding conscionable a two-point pb implicit 11th-placed Hearts, though the Dee person played a crippled less than those beneath them.

However, with the layout of the array truthful adjacent successful points astatine the little end, a triumph present could really spot Dundee determination into the apical six depending connected results elsewhere.

Their caller signifier has taken a flimsy upturn, with the Dee winning 2 of their past 3 fixtures, leaving them with improved confidence, but a matchup with second-placed Rangers could beryllium challenging.

The Gers endured a hard commencement to the season, with a drawstring of mediocre results putting unit connected Philippe Clement's presumption astatine the club, but caller successes person eased speculation astir the manager.

After a decision to Aberdeen astatine the extremity of October, Rangers went connected to stay undefeated successful their pursuing 9 outings earlier dramatically losing connected penalties to Celtic successful the Scottish League Cup final.

They bounced backmost with a 1-0 triumph against Thursday's opponents successful the reverse fixture earlier underwhelmingly losing to St Mirren, but they person since drawn 2 and won 1 of their past three, including a fantastic 3-0 triumph against Celtic successful the league.

The Gers volition beryllium somewhat disappointed by squandering a two-goal pb against Hibernian successful their past outing, yet drafting 3-3, meaning they volition beryllium hopeless to unafraid a triumph here.

Rangers person been ascendant successful this fixture successful caller years, remaining undefeated against Dundee successful their past 15 meetings crossed each competitions, securing 13 wins successful that time.

Dundee Scottish Premiership form:

Rangers Scottish Premiership form:

Rangers signifier (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Dundee volition beryllium without the services of Joe Shaughnessy (knee), Scott Fraser (groin) and Ziyad Larkeche (hamstring) owed to ongoing wounded issues, though each 3 should instrumentality aboriginal this month.

After defeating St Johnstone 3-1 successful their astir caller outing, Docherty could opt to sanction a akin starting broadside for this one, with goalscorers Simon Murray and Sebastian Palmer-Houlden apt to start.

As for Rangers, they are acceptable to beryllium without the availability of respective first-team players owed to wounded issues, including Jack Butland, James Tavernier, Jack Souttar, Neraysho Kasanwirjo and Tom Lawrence.

Hamza Igamane scored a hat-trick successful the 3-3 gully with Hibernian successful the past match, and the striker is expected to support his spot successful the 11 up of Cyriel Dessers.

Dundee imaginable starting lineup:
Carson; Astley, Robertson, Graham; Mulligan, Cameron, Sylla, Tiffoney; Palmer-Houlden, Adewumi; Murray

We say: Dundee 1-3 Rangers

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