Digressive Celts

Matches › 2026/27

Rangers v St. Johnstone

Saturday 23 January 2027, 15:00 · Ibrox Stadium · Round 24

Forecast

RangersSt. Johnstone
Expected goals2.540.70
Win77%8%
Expected Points2.460.39
Clean sheet50%8%

Rangers 77%Draw 15%St. Johnstone 8%

Most likely score 2–0, 13%. Both sides score 47%.

St. Johnstone goalsRangers goals0123456+0123456+4%2%1%7%2%9%3%7%3%7%5%2%3%2%2%2%10%13%11%

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

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

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

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

Season to date

RangersSt. Johnstone
Position2nd5th
Played88
Won, drawn, lost6–⁠1–⁠13–⁠2–⁠3
Points19 (2.38 per game)11 (1.38 per game)
Expected Points per game2.061.17
Goals11–⁠510–⁠10
xG per game2.17–⁠1.021.33–⁠1.59
Home: points, xG per game2.25, 2.60–⁠1.201.75, 1.49–⁠1.41
Away: points, xG per game2.50, 1.73–⁠0.841.00, 1.16–⁠1.77
ManagerDerek McInnes (8)Simo Valakari (39)

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 1.34AttackRangers1.92, 2ndSt. Johnstone1.07, 12thDefence (lower is better)Rangers0.97, 2ndSt. Johnstone1.56, 11th

This season

Attack0.51.01.52.0AugSepOctRangers attack: 1.92St. Johnstone attack: 1.071.921.07St. JohnstoneRangersDefence (lower is better)0.51.01.52.0AugSepOctRangers defence: 0.97St. Johnstone defence: 1.561.560.97

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

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

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

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%

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%

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

RangersSt. Johnstone

2.17xG1.33
1.02xG against1.59
55%Possession48%
20.1Shots9.9
9.5Shots against14.0
6.2Shots on target3.4
2.9Big chances2.4
38.1Touches in the opposition box18.4
449Passes441
80%Pass accuracy80%
7.4Corners3.2
60%Field tilt49%
47.5Final-third entries39.7
18.6Box entries10.9
11.4Passes per defensive action18.3

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

Rangers

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

St. Johnstone

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

xG by period

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

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

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

Most used players by position

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)

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)

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: Rangers won 14, St. Johnstone won 1, and 1 was a draw. Goals 33–5 and xG 1.92–0.45 per game.

Key players

Rangers

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

St. Johnstone

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

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