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Rangers welcome League Two side Stirling Albion to the Ibrox Stadium for a place in the next round of the Scottish Cup on Friday.
The hosts head into the game on an impressive 10-match unbeaten run, while the visitors are without a win in their last two outings.
Rangers’ blistering run of results took a slight halt on Tuesday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Aberdeen.
Prior to that, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men were on a run of nine consecutive wins in the Scottish Premiership, dating back to a 2-2 draw with Aberdeen in October’s reverse fixture.
Rangers, who are currently top of the Scottish Premiership table, will now look to keep the juggernaut rolling and begin their cup campaign on a winning note.
Meanwhile, Stirling Albion failed to return to winning ways last time out when they played out a thrilling 3-3 draw against Stranraer in League Two.
Prior to that, they ended their four-game losing streak courtesy of a 2-1 win over Stenhousemir on January 2, before falling to a 3-0 loss against Kelty Hearts FC six days later.
Stirling Albion now turn their attention to the Scottish Cup where they are on a fine run, scoring six goals and conceding just once in their opening two games.
Rangers vs Stirling Albion Head-To-Head
This will be the fifth meeting between the sides since 2012. The results have been split right down the middle in their previous four meetings, with both sides claiming one win each. Their most recent two encounters have ended in draws.
Rangers Form Guide: W-W-W-W-D
Stirling Albion Form Guide: L-L-W-L-D
Rangers vs Stirling Albion Team News
Rangers
Filip Helander, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, Leon Balogun and Nnamdi Ofoborh are all recuperating from injuries and will miss the game. Joe Aribo is on international duty with Nigeria at the ongoing AFCON tournament, while Ryan Kent is suspended after picking up a red card against Aberdeen last time out.
Injured: Filip Helander, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, Leon Balogun, Nnamdi Ofoborh
Suspended: Ryan Kent
Unavailable: Joe Aribo
Stirling Albion
There are no known injuries or suspension concerns in the Stirling Albion camp heading into Friday’s game.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Rangers vs Stirling Albion Predicted XI
Rangers Predicted XI (4-3-3): Allan McGregor; Borna Barisic, Connor Goldson, Calvin Bassey, James Tavernier; Ianis Hagi, Glen Kamara, John Lundstram; Scott Wright, Alfredo Morelos, Cédric Itten
Stirling Albion Predicted XI (3-4-3): Blair Currie; Mason Hancock, Martin McNiff, Jordan McGregor; Ross McGeachie, Jack Leitch, Kurtis Roberts, Ray Grant; Nathan Flanagan, Akeel Francis, Dale Carrick
Rangers vs Stirling Albion Prediction
While Stirling Albion will look to keep their cup run alive and kicking, they face the daunting task of going up against a significantly superior Rangers side. We are backing the hosts to come away with the win.
Prediction: Rangers 3-0 Stirling Albion
