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Motherwell logo
Scottish Premiership | Gameweek 29
Mar 18, 2023 at 12.30pm UK
Fir Park Stadium
Rangers logo

Motherwell
2 - 4
Rangers

van Veen (3'), Mugabi (59')
Casey (20'), Slattery (22')
Slattery (76')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Tavernier (23'), Sakala (47'), Cantwell (62'), Tillman (69')
Jack (45')

Preview: Motherwell vs. Rangers - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Scottish Premiership clash between Motherwell and Rangers, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Motherwell's resurgence under Stuart Kettlewell will be put to the test when they host Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday lunchtime.

The Well pulled further clear of the relegation zone with a victory over fellow strugglers Ross County last time out, while Rangers battled past second-tier Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.


Match preview

Celtic's Liel Abada in action with Motherwell's Nathan McGinley on February 6, 2022© Reuters

It was the embarrassment of getting so convincingly beaten by Raith Rovers in the cup which finally prompted Motherwell's board to part ways with manager Stevie Hammell in February.

Initially, Kettlewell was only appointed as caretaker manager, but consecutive victories against St Mirren and third-placed Hearts led to a permanent role.

In four games under the Glasgow-born 38-year-old - the youngest manager in the Scottish top flight - Motherwell have collected 10 points, as many as they had earned across the previous 18 Premiership matches.

Kettlewell has hauled the Well from joint-bottom up to ninth, with a healthy six-point buffer to the relegation playoff spot and nine points clear of 12th-placed Dundee United.

Rangers manager Michael Beale before the match on February 26, 2023© Reuters

Michael Beale has enjoyed similar success to Kettlewell since taking over Rangers - winning 15 of his 17 matches at the helm - yet the chasm to Celtic at the Premiership summit is the same nine-point gap he inherited, and his only defeat was against the club's bitter rivals in the Scottish League Cup final.

Rangers have responded to that Hampden disappointment by winning their subsequent three matches, rattling in 10 goals along the way, but the level of performance has wildly swung between competent and commanding.

It was more of the former in a "flat" 3-0 win against the Rovers last weekend which Beale admitted "was not one that got the pulses racing".

Motherwell have not beaten Rangers in the Scottish top flight in eight years, last recording a victory against the Gers in 2015, which kept the Steelmen in the Premiership at the expense of the Glasgow giants.

That distant 3-0 win was the last time Motherwell have kept a league clean sheet against Rangers, with the Lanarkshire outfit shipping 16 goals across the previous five meetings between the two clubs.

Motherwell Scottish Premiership form:


Motherwell form (all competitions):


Rangers Scottish Premiership form:


Rangers form (all competitions):



Team News

Rangers' Kemar Roofe after receiving medical attention on January 15, 2023© Reuters

Motherwell may have enjoyed a weekend off while the Scottish Cup quarter-finals were contested, but that was nowhere near enough time for Jake Carroll to regain fitness as the left-back is in the early stages of a lengthy recovery process from knee surgery.

January arrivals Mikael Mandron and Shane Blaney have scarcely featured since their winter moves from Gillingham and Sligo Rovers respectively with injuries that are likely to sideline them again this weekend.

Striker Joseph Efford, who joined the Well in January 2022, ruptured his thigh muscle in October, fighting for space in Motherwell's treatment room with the rarely spotted Nathan McGinley.

Rangers' Ridvan Yilmaz has returned from injury just in time to replace Borna Barisic, as the left-back is set to jet off to Croatia for the birth of his child.

Kemar Roofe is out for the rest of the season after undergoing hip surgery, joining long-term absentees Tom Lawrence (knee), Steven Davis (cruciate ligament) and Nnamdi Ofoborh (heart).

Centre-back Filip Helander is also expected to be sidelined until the end of March while he nurses a foot problem.

Motherwell possible starting lineup:
Kelly; Butcher, Casey, McGinn; Johnston, Goss, Slattery, Furlong; Spittal; Obika, Van Veen

Rangers possible starting lineup:
McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Davies, Yilmaz; Raskin, Jack, Cantrell; Kent, Colak, Sakala


SM words green background

We say: Motherwell 0-2 Rangers

Motherwell's assistant manager Stephen Frail insisted that there is "a wee energy and a buzz about the club" after the positive results, but the in-form hosts will surely have their bubble burst by a Rangers side that may not always sparkle but have consistently collected results under Beale.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Away Win:data


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Game History

How you voted: Motherwell vs Rangers

Motherwell
8.6%
Draw
14.3%
Rangers
77.1%
35
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Rangers' Kemar Roofe after receiving medical attention on January 15, 2023
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rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Celtic109102932628
2Aberdeen109102091128
3RangersRangers10613158719
4Dundee UnitedDundee Utd114431513216
5Motherwell105141313016
6Dundee113351720-312
7St Mirren123361521-612
8Kilmarnock113351523-812
9Ross County122641018-812
10St Johnstone123181525-1010
11Hearts122371419-59
12Hibernian111551016-68


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