Danny Rohl’s Rangers picked up a crucial three points in the German boss's first game at Ibrox, beating Kilmarnock 3-1, but there’s no time to rest on their laurels, as a trip to Easter Road to face Hibs awaits on Wednesday night (19:45 GMT).
However, David Gray’s men will be no pushovers. The Edinburgh side currently sit third in the table and are in good form with back-to-back wins, so breaking down Hibs and returning to Glasgow with all three points is easier said than done.
Team form
While Hibs have lost just once so far this season, a 1-0 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle Park three games ago, they largely struggled to get over the line before their current run of successive victories.
A 2-1 win away to Dundee got the ball rolling in week one, but draws against Kilmarnock, St. Mirren, Dundee United, Falkirk and Celtic followed before the loss away to their capital rivals.
The 4-0 win against Livingston and the 2-1 win over Aberdeen have given Hibs a much-needed confidence boost and taken them up to third in the league, but Rangers will be stiffer competition.
The Gers made a positive move in the right direction thanks to that win over Kilmarnock last weekend, which was perhaps their first convincing performance of the season after a dreadful start.
Rangers won just one of their seven matches under former boss Russell Martin, scrapping past bottom-of-the-table Livingston, but lost just once as well, a 2-0 defeat to Hearts at Ibrox.
Still, the recurrent, often frustrating stalemates continued for long enough, and while interim boss Steven Smith oversaw another 2-2 draw with Dundee United in his single game in charge, the Glasgow giants have shown positive signs under Rohl with their 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock.
Head-to-head
Rangers have had bragging rights over Hibs once already this season, beating them 2-0 in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals at Ibrox last month, but the Edinburgh outfit have frustrated the Gers in the Scottish Premiership in recent years.
Becoming something of a bogey team for Rangers over the last couple of seasons, Hibs are on a three-game unbeaten streak against Wednesday night’s counterparts, drawing 2-2 and 3-3 at Easter Road while recording a 2-0 win in Glasgow in their final meeting of last season.
Before that, Rangers were on a run of seven successive league victories over Hibs, scoring 22 goals and conceding just five times. Rohl will be hoping to find the winning formula to overcome this poor run of results against Hibs.
Team news
The hosts are still without long-term absentees Alasana Manneh and captain Joe Newel. Both are back in training with the squad, but the Rangers clash will come too soon for both.
Midfielder Josh Mulligan will be hoping to avoid a booking, as the 22-year-old is just one yellow card away from suspension.
Aside from Dujon Sterling, who has been out since earlier this year with an Achilles issue, Rangers come here fully fit.
Rohl made four changes on Sunday after Thursday night’s Europa League defeat, and with another quick turnover, the German could look to further rotation for the trip to Edinburgh.
Youssef Chermiti broke a two-and-a-half-year duck in front of goal when coming off the bench against Kilmarnock, and he’s one player who might want to play more of a part at Easter Road.
Key stats
Rangers captain James Tavernier has four goals and an assist in nine Scottish Premiership games.
Kieron Bowie and Jamie McGrath are Hibs’ top scorers in the league, each netting three times this season.
Rangers have averaged 2.3 cards per game in the Scottish Premiership this campaign.
Hibs have conceded less than a goal per game (0.8) in their last five league games.
Prediction Rangers looked impressive in their win over Kilmarnock at the weekend, but this trip to Easter Road presents a different challenge. Hibs have held their own against the Gers in recent league encounters, have a solid defensive record in their last five matches, and are unbeaten at home this season. That, along with the unpredictability of Rangers this season, suggests that this fixture may end in yet another draw.
