Digressive Celts

Matches › 2026/27

St. Johnstone v Rangers

Saturday 12 December 2026, 15:00 · McDiarmid Park · Round 18

Forecast

St. JohnstoneRangers
Expected goals0.901.98
Win16%62%
Expected Points0.702.08
Clean sheet14%41%

St. Johnstone 16%Draw 22%Rangers 62%

Most likely score 0–2, 11%. Both sides score 52%.

Rangers goalsSt. Johnstone goals0123456+0123456+6%7%4%1%5%7%3%1%2%4%4%3%1%1%1%11%11%10%10%

From the forecast as it stood on 11 October 2026: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page.

Form

St. Johnstone

  1. W1–011 OctAberdeen (A)xG 1.10–1.23
  2. D1–119 SepFalkirk (H)xG 0.94–1.29
  3. L0–19 SepCeltic (H)xG 0.69–1.80
  4. W2–16 SepHibernian (H)xG 2.32–1.61
  5. D1–12 SepDundee FC (A)xG 1.08–2.07
  6. L1–229 AugHearts (A)xG 1.28–2.20

Rangers

  1. W3–110 OctKilmarnock (H)xG 1.42–1.15
  2. W1–020 SepCeltic (A)xG 1.81–0.39
  3. W1–09 SepSt. Mirren (H)xG 2.49–1.26
  4. W1–05 SepMotherwell (H)xG 4.29–0.70
  5. W2–12 SepFalkirk (A)xG 1.57–1.00
  6. W1–030 AugAberdeen (A)xG 2.10–0.35

The last six league matches, newest first, with xG for and against.

Season to date

St. JohnstoneRangers
Position5th2nd
Played88
Won, drawn, lost3–⁠2–⁠36–⁠1–⁠1
Points11 (1.38 per game)19 (2.38 per game)
Expected Points per game1.172.06
Goals10–⁠1011–⁠5
xG per game1.33–⁠1.592.17–⁠1.02
Home: points, xG per game1.75, 1.49–⁠1.412.25, 2.60–⁠1.20
Away: points, xG per game1.00, 1.16–⁠1.772.50, 1.73–⁠0.84
ManagerSimo Valakari (39)Derek McInnes (8)

League matches this season before kick-off. The manager's number is league matches in charge since 2020/21.

Ratings

0.51.01.52.0League average 1.34AttackSt. Johnstone1.07, 12thRangers1.92, 2ndDefence (lower is better)St. Johnstone1.56, 11thRangers0.97, 2nd

This season

Attack0.51.01.52.0AugSepOctSt. Johnstone attack: 1.07Rangers attack: 1.921.921.07RangersSt. JohnstoneDefence (lower is better)0.51.01.52.0AugSepOctSt. Johnstone defence: 1.56Rangers defence: 0.971.560.97

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday, with their rank among the league's clubs; a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs, spread up and down only so they don't overlap.

Strengths and weaknesses

St. JohnstoneRangers
CreatedConcededCreatedConceded
Open play−21%+11%+42%−46%
Counter-attacks−55%−18%+20%+14%
Set pieces−29%+3%+42%−33%
Penalties+80%−40%+20%−40%
Headers−18%+40%+40%−50%
Left side−6%+13%+17%−14%
Centre−20%−7%+66%−31%
Right side−63%+16%+20%−59%

xG created and conceded per game against the league average this season: +24% is 24% more than an average side. Left and right are each side's own, so chances conceded on its left come from opponents attacking down their right. Green favours the side and amber doesn't.

Matchups

St. Johnstone attacking

St. Johnstone createdRangers concededLeft side−6%−59%Centre−20%−31%Right side−63%−14%Open play−21%−46%Counter-attacks−55%+14%Set pieces−29%−33%Headers−18%−50%

Rangers attacking

Rangers createdSt. Johnstone concededLeft side+17%+16%Centre+66%−7%Right side+20%+13%Open play+42%+11%Counter-attacks+20%−18%Set pieces+42%+3%Headers+40%+40%

Each side's xG created per game down each side of the pitch, through the centre, and from each type of chance, against what its opponent concedes there, both relative to the league average.

Season averages

St. JohnstoneRangers

1.33xG2.17
1.59xG against1.02
48%Possession55%
9.9Shots20.1
14.0Shots against9.5
3.4Shots on target6.2
2.4Big chances2.9
18.4Touches in the opposition box38.1
441Passes449
80%Pass accuracy80%
3.2Corners7.4
49%Field tilt60%
39.7Final-third entries47.5
10.9Box entries18.6
18.3Passes per defensive action11.4

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

St. Johnstone

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level461.591.52
Ahead210.831.90
Behind231.251.44

Rangers

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level442.191.33
Ahead351.960.69
Behind112.750.87

xG by period

St. Johnstone

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.170.121–1
16–300.200.202–1
31–450.290.321–2
46–600.330.312–4
61–750.130.211–1
76–900.200.423–1

Rangers

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.340.203–1
16–300.480.061–0
31–450.410.272–2
46–600.350.151–0
61–750.260.191–0
76–900.330.153–2

Per game this season, with stoppage time counted in its half; goals are totals for and against.

Most used players by position

St. Johnstone

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTSteward 8Smith 5Todd 3Mitchell 6Finlayson 2Diabate 7Foulds 1Alić 6Foulds 2McAlear 7Stanton 1Holt 8Stanton 4Campbell 2Smith 1Paton 2Cotterill 2Gullan 2Paton 3Steven 3Gullan 2Fowler 7Gullan 14-2-3-1 in 4 of 8 starts

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (4), 4-4-2 (2), 3-4-2-1 (1), 4-3-3 (1)

Rangers

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTPandur 8Sterling 6Makhanya 1Nedeljković 1Fernandez 8Godfrey 1Makhanya 6Rommens 1Penrice 6Rommens 1Chermiti 1Raskin 6Devlin 3Dragojevic 1Neil 5Diomande 1Curtis 3Kim 2Naderi 1Kim 3Naderi 3Devlin 1Gassama 7Curtis 1Shankland 5Kelsy 34-2-3-1 in 6 of 8 starts

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (6), 4-4-1-1 (1), 3-5-2 (1)

This season's most used formation, with up to three players who started most often in each position and their league starts there. Underneath, when a side has used more than one, every formation with its starts.

Head to head

DateHomeAwayxG
12 January 2025Rangers3–1St. JohnstonexG 3.03–0.43
1 December 2024St. Johnstone0–1RangersxG 0.15–1.73
6 October 2024Rangers2–0St. JohnstonexG 1.57–0.36
18 February 2024St. Johnstone0–3RangersxG 0.21–2.96
20 December 2023Rangers2–0St. JohnstonexG 3.14–0.09
16 September 2023St. Johnstone0–2RangersxG 0.32–2.02

16 league meetings since 2020/21: St. Johnstone won 1, Rangers won 14, and 1 was a draw. Goals 5–33 and xG 0.45–1.92 per game.

Key players

St. Johnstone

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Fowler7557510.560.05
Alić6540100.030.16
Stanton6545010.090.05
Diabate7593100.070.02

Rangers

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Naderi4456410.770.18
Gassama7556020.340.17
Raskin6505000.220.12
Sterling6496000.010.28

Up to four players a side with the most xG plus xA per 90 minutes, from those with at least 450 league minutes.