Preview: St Johnstone vs. Rangers - prediction, team news, lineups

The Glasgow giants come in on the back of their final Champions League group-stage game, a 3-1 defeat at home to Ajax leaving them without a single point on the continent, while they trail rivals Celtic by four points in the title race.

Match preview

St Johnstone experienced a mixed start to the season under the management of Callum Davidson, after only avoiding relegation with a playoff victory last term, winning three of their first eight league games to sit on 10 points.

They would then suffer three defeats on the bounce at the hands of Kilmarnock, Celtic and Livingston, quickly dropping to the bottom end of the division as a result before facing the tough test of a trip to third-placed Hibernian.

The Saints would successfully end their tough run in that contest though, despite trailing 1-0 until the final 20 minutes, as Nicky Clark drew them level and Stevie May hit the winner in the 82nd minute at Easter Road.

Davidson's men then met Kilmarnock most recently, and following a 1-0 triumph thanks to an early Ash Taylor own goal, they now find themselves eighth with only a three-point gap up to fourth-placed Aberdeen.

They will aim to continue their climb with a third straight three-point haul at the weekend but face one of their toughest tests yet against a side looking to win back the league title this term.

In their bid to regain the Scottish Premiership title from Celtic this season, Rangers' cause was harmed when they lost 4-0 in the first Old Firm derby of the season, although they have since gone six league games unbeaten to remain in hot pursuit of their rivals.

That defeat was initially followed by four victories on the bounce, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side beat Dundee United, Hearts, St Mirren and Motherwell before being held to a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Livingston.

They would bounce back in their most recent league outing, comfortably beating Aberdeen 4-1 at Ibrox, despite going 1-0 down in the 21st minute, as Antonio Colak quickly levelled the scores before John Lundstram, James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos all got on the scoresheet to seal all three points.

The Glasgow outfit then rounded off their continental campaign at home to Ajax on Tuesday, eventually falling to a 3-1 defeat with Tavernier's late penalty not enough to spark a turnaround, and such a result meant they finished without a single point and with a goal difference of -20 in their six matches.

Now able to fully turn their focus back to their league form and their pursuit of Celtic, who sit four points ahead thanks to a relentless run of form, van Bronckhorst's side will know that they cannot afford to lose further ground at this stage and will be vying for a second straight league win.

St Johnstone Scottish Premiership form:

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Rangers Scottish Premiership form:

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Rangers form (all competitions):

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Team News

St Johnstone could come into Sunday's contest with an unchanged starting XI following their win over Kilmarnock, with the defensive unit of Alex Mitchell, Andy Considine and Liam Gordon expected to be put to the test.

Davidson also has little reason to alter his front line, with Stevie May having contributed three goals and four assists in the Scottish top flight so far this season while strike partner Nicky Clark recently added to his tally in the win over Hibernian.

They could again be supported by Graham Carey unless the Saints opt for a more conservative approach and bring in another defensive-minded midfielder to join Melker Hallberg and Ryan McGowan in the engine room.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst continues to deal with a long list of injuries all over the pitch, as Tom Lawrence, Ryan Jack, Ianis Hagi, Filip Helander, Connor Goldson and John Souttar all remain sidelined, with the losses of Souttar, Helander and Goldson leaving their defensive options relatively thin, and Leon King and James Sands should partner up at the back in their absence.

Their line will again be led by Antonio Colak, who has largely kept Alfredo Morelos out of the starting XI since his summer arrival having already netted 11 league goals.

Even with a long list of absentees, they still have an abundance of attacking options, and Ryan Kent is bound to feature while Morelos is left to battle with the likes of Fashion Sakala, Rabbi Matondo and Malik Tillman for the other spots, with John Lundstram set to join either Scott Arfield or Steven Davis at the base of midfield.

St Johnstone possible starting lineup:

Matthews; Wright, Mitchell, Gordon, Considine, Brown; Hallberg, McGowan, Crawford; Clark, May

Rangers possible starting lineup:

McGregor; Tavernier, Sands, King, Yilmaz; Lundstram, Arfield; Matondo, Tillman, Kent; Colak

We say: St Johnstone 0-2 Rangers

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