Hearts Could Secure Scottish Championship Title with Win over Rangers

Rangers host Heart of Midlothian at Ibrox on January 16 in a match that is set to define the Scottish Championship title race. With first place and automatic promotion looming for Hearts, they travel to Glasgow with the intention to end the title hopes of their closest rivals. Kick-off is set for 7:45 p.m. GMT.

Rangers have struggled to keep up with the Edinburgh pace-setters this season, dropping points in matches they were expected to win, while Hearts remain unbeaten, winning 17 of their 20 games.

The importance of the clash has been evident in the heated build up to the fixture, as players on both sides have attempted to gain a psychological upper hand.

Per BBC Sport, in a recent interview, Hearts' new signing—Dutch striker Genero Zeefuik— announced, "If we beat Rangers on Friday then I think it's over." It's a confident assumption, but one this writer agrees with.

Should Hearts win on Friday, they will open up a 16-point gap over Rangers. Such a gap would only be surmountable if Hearts were to at least lose six of their 15 remaining fixtures, something that does not look likely given their form so far.

Rangers' Fraser Aird did not take kindly to such a statement, arguing that Rangers have the superior squad, saying, per the Daily Record: "I still think that we have a better squad than them and better individual players but we need to go out and prove that."

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Such an opinion would have garnered weight at the start of this campaign, but Hearts have shown strength in depth to rival their higher spending counterparts as the season has gone on. Ahead of the clash with Rangers, Hearts were without Osman Sow, Kevin McHattie and Soufian El Hassnaoui but have not shown any signs of faltering in their absence.

The last time the two sides met was at Tynecastle in November of last year. Hearts ran out 2-0 winners on that day, negotiating a gruelling affair with greater tactical organisation and quality in the final third.

In a fiery encounter, Rangers lost their cool, with Steven Smith sent off for a rash challenge and several tackles from other players fortunate to be punished only with a yellow card. Rangers will need to show more discipline if they are to win on Friday.

However, their cause will not be helped by confusing off-field circumstances of late, with the club's ownership and future the subject of much uncertainty.

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has loaned money to the club and has offered more, though a consortium of Rangers shareholders led by Douglas Park are said to be prepared to offer increased funding to prevent Ashley from gaining Ibrox as a security, per the BBC.

Difficulties off the field have been replicated on it, as Ally McCoist left the club following some poor results. The first match Rangers had under the tenure of new manager Kenny McDowall began equally inauspiciously, however, as they lost 0-4 to Hibernian.

Additionally, Rangers have a Scottish League Cup semi-final against Glasgow rivals Celtic in early February. It will be the first Old Firm derby in two years, and although it will excite Rangers fans and players, it may also prove a distraction to important league fixtures.

Hearts opened the season by travelling to Ibrox and beating Rangers 2-1, and a second away win would all but secure them the Scottish Championship.

The two teams will meet for a final time at Tynecastle on the last day of the season, but unless Rangers earn a win on Friday, Hearts will most likely enter that final showdown with the title already in the bag.