St Johnstone enter this match on the back of four straight draws with the Saints facing a tough task against very motivated Rangers. Gers allowed Celtic to return to the SPL summit as they lost at home to Dundee United and now Walter Smith’s side are eager to make amends for that defeat.

Saints shift their focus to the Cup

St Johnstone are on the good road to establish themselves as genuine top table side and after finishing the last SPL campaign in 7th place, they look set for another mid table finish. Derec McInnes’ side have suffered a small dip in form of late as they have some problems coping with the busy schedule but it is important to note that Saints are unbeaten in last six games, that is ever since the 4:0 defeat at Ibrox. However, after losing all chances to make it to the championship play-off, St Johnstone have shifted their focus towards the Scottish Cup, where they will meet Motherwell in the semi-finals. Seeing that they will play Rangers, Celtic and Dundee United before the Motherwell game, boss McInnes will be looking to keep his players fresh for what is likely to be a game of the season for his side.

Jordan Robertson was handed a debut against Kilmarnock and he could play some part in this game as well, while Michael Dubbery returned into action. Steven Anderson remains injury doubt.

Gers out to make amends

Walter Smith’s side have been pretty inconsistent this term, but the good thing is that they still have the chance to turn this season into a success. Gers quickly made amends for the elimination from Europe as they beat rivals Celtic in the Co-op Insurance Cup final, but they then allowed the Bhoys to overturn them from the top spot in the SPL, after losing at home to Dundee United. The result was seen as a major blow to team’s title ambitions, but with Gers set to face Celtic two more times this season, they definitely have a chance to gain the upper hand of the title race. The game against indifferent St Johnstone can be the perfect opportunity to put extra pressure on the title rivals and even though the visitors face some injury problems, it is highly unlikely they will let such a good opportunity pass.

Madjid Bougherra and Vladimir Weiss are out with injuries, while Kyle Bartley has returned to Arsenal. Lee McCulloch and Kirk Broadfoot remain injury doubts, but exciting midfielder Jamie Ness is expected to feature.

Verdict

St Johnstone players are likely to have tired legs going into this game as they aren’t used to playing games every few days, while the lack of motivation is likely to be another problem. Rangers, on the other hand, have everything to fight for and their superior quality should help them win this clash.

Our prediction: Rangers to lead at half-time

Odds: 2.06 (53/50)

Bookmaker: 188BET