Rangers icon delivers bold Celtic prediction and names key Rohl issue that is handing Hearts title initiative

The two sides clash for the third time in the league this season at Ibrox on Sunday. Both are under huge pressure to avoid another costly slip as they look to close the gap on league leaders Hearts, with the two Glasgow giants trailing them by four points and six points respectively heading into the Old Firm clash.

While a late rally saw Rangers rescue a 2-2 draw at basement club Livingston on Sunday, Martin O’Neill’s Celtic fell to a damaging 2-1 home defeat to Hibs at Parkhead. The duo can ill-afford to drop further points in the title race and former Rangers striker Kris Boyd has a grave warning for the two teams ahead of the game on Sunday lunchtime.

“A couple of weeks ago against St Mirren, Hearts were more or less down to their fifth choice captain,” said Boyd. “When you think of the players they was missing. [Lawrence] Shankland was out, [Cammy] Devlin was out, [Craig] Halkett was out, Craig Gordon was out. Frankie Kent ended up with the armband. I'm not sure Rangers or Celtic could cope with that.

“There's one thing about Hearts, whenever they've had that setback, they've been able to bounce back the following week. They might have bigger squads, but I think Hearts have the togetherness, the willingness to go and put on a performance, to get results. I don't think either of the two in Glasgow could do that.

“You’re now looking at Rangers and Celtic, they're going to have to do that at the weekend, and both of them cannot do it. Hearts have got it right now with the gap they've got. They can afford now to potentially have a slip-up here and there. But the chasing pack have lost that now. I personally feel as if whoever loses this game at Ibrox is out of the title race. That's especially the case when you look at Celtic right now.”

While the 42-year-old striker believes Rangers’ consistency at home since the arrival of Rohl in late October is reason enough to believe they can take all three points against fierce rivals Celtic, he doesn’t think their form at Ibrox is enough to drag Hearts off the top spot, admitting Derek McInnes’ side have the most momentum of three challenging sides when it comes to the title race.

“There's no getting away from it that playing at home gives you an advantage,” said Boyd. “The contrast in Rangers from at home to away would be a worry. When you look at Rangers last three away performances, I don't think they've been good enough. You could point to them individually and say a good point at Easter Road, a good point at Motherwell, and then yesterday [vs Livingston] - but I think you've got to be beating these teams. It is Glasgow Rangers after all.

“I feel as if if Rangers are going to deliver a title, you've got to be going to these places and winning, especially when you're up against it and you're chasing. They found a way to get themselves up for a game against Hearts because they felt as if it was a big game. It was a team at the top of the table, so they had to win it. But when you look at the performances against in the three away games I've just mentioned, I don't think they've been anywhere near that level.

“Rangers have to find that… I don't want to say balance, but they have to find something from within the group that they can start to get the same performance away from home as what they're getting at home. I don't think Danny Rohl will have any problem getting his team up for Celtic at the weekend or Hearts or Motherwell or whoever at Ibrox. But his problem going forward is how to turn this away form.

“They're going to have to try and find that form on the road because if you're going to deliver a title, you can't just play good football, turn it on at home and then expect just to rock up at grounds away from home and get three points — it doesn't work like that.”

Kris Boyd was speaking on behalf of William Hill, the SPFL’s title partner. Check out the weekly preview show here.