Rangers vs Aberdeen: Prediction, Lineups, Kickoff Time | Scottish Premiership 2025/26

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Match Preview

A classic Scottish Premiership rivalry reignites under the lights at Ibrox on Tuesday, 6 January 2026. Rangers come into this clash soaring with confidence after a massive 3–1 Old Firm victory over Celtic just three days ago. That result has firmly placed Philippe Clement’s side back in the title conversation, sitting 3rd with 38 points and riding a three-match winning streak. In stark contrast, Aberdeen are in freefall. The Dons have dropped to 8th (25 points) and are winless in their last five outings, a run capped off by a demoralizing 0–1 loss to newly-promoted Falkirk on Saturday. With the pressure mounting on the visitors, a trip to a hostile Ibrox is the last thing they need.

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Match Info

• Competition: Scottish Premiership (Matchday 21)
• Venue: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow (Capacity: 51,587)
• Date: Tuesday, 6 January 2026
• Kickoff: 20:00 GMT
• Referee: Nick Walsh (SCO)

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Match Stakes

Rangers (3rd — 38 pts):

• Win → Moves to 41 pts; keeps the pressure on the top two and builds on the Old Firm momentum.
• Draw → A comedown after the Celtic win; two points dropped at home.
• Loss → A shock defeat that undoes the hard work of the weekend; allows chasing pack to close in.

Aberdeen (8th — 25 pts):

• Win → Moves to 28 pts; a season-turning result that could spark a revival.
• Draw → A massive point to stop the bleeding; restores some pride for the Red Army.
• Loss → Extends winless run to 6 games; likely drops them further away from the Top 6 split.

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Team News

Rangers:

• Djiga N. — Out (International Duty – AFCON with Burkina Faso)
• Bajrami N. — Out (Injury – Creative Spark Missing)
• Cornelius D. — Out (Muscle Injury)
• Antman O. — Out (Muscle Injury)
• Confidence High: After beating Celtic, rotation may be minimal, though fatigue from the derby is a factor.

Aberdeen:

• Tobers K. — Out (Knee Injury – Midfield Anchor Missing)
• Molloy G. — Out (Knee Injury)
• Crisis Mode: Manager Jimmy Thelin (or current boss) must find a way to plug a leaky defense that has conceded in 4 straight games without their key defensive midfielder.

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)

Rangers

• 03/01 — 3–1 vs Celtic (Premiership)
• 31/12 — 2–1 vs St. Mirren (Premiership)
• 27/12 — 1–0 vs Motherwell (Premiership)
• 21/12 — 1–2 vs Hearts (Premiership)
• 16/12 — 1–0 vs Hibernian (Premiership)

Aberdeen

• 03/01 — 0–1 vs Falkirk (Premiership)
• 31/12 — 0–2 vs Hibernian (Premiership)
• 27/12 — 1–1 vs Dundee Utd (Premiership)
• 21/12 — 1–3 vs Celtic (Premiership)
• 19/12 — 0–3 vs Sparta Prague (UECL)

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)

• 11/05/2025 — Rangers 4–0 Aberdeen (Premiership)
• 13/04/2025 — Aberdeen 2–2 Rangers (Premiership)
• 16/01/2025 — Rangers 3–0 Aberdeen (Premiership)
• 31/10/2024 — Aberdeen 2–1 Rangers (Premiership)
• 07/02/2024 — Rangers 2–1 Aberdeen (Premiership)

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)

Rangers (4-2-3-1)

Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Propper, Yilmaz; Barron, Diomande; Cerny, Lawrence, Cortes; Dessers

Aberdeen (4-2-3-1)

Mitov; Devlin, Rubezic, Molloy (if fit, else Milne), MacKenzie; Shinnie, Palaversa; Keskinen, McGrath, Duk; Nisbet

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Impact Bench

Rangers: Igamane (Goal threat), Sterling (Utility man)

Aberdeen: Sokler (Forward option), Besuijen (Pace)

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Tactical Analysis

Rangers

Ibrox will be rocking. Rangers will look to feed off the crowd’s energy and start fast. With Vaclav Cerny and Oscar Cortes on the wings, they will target Aberdeen’s full-backs, who have been exposed recently. The key will be maintaining intensity; often teams drop off after an Old Firm win, but Clement will demand ruthlessness.

Aberdeen

Aberdeen are low on confidence and goals (failed to score in their last two). They will likely set up to frustrate, sitting deep and hoping to catch Rangers on the break through the pace of Duk or Keskinen. However, without Kristers Tobers to screen the defense, they look vulnerable through the middle against Tom Lawrence or Mohamed Diomande.

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Key Battles

• Dessers vs Rubezic — Physical battle between striker and center-back.
• Tavernier vs MacKenzie — Rangers captain driving forward vs Aberdeen’s left side.
• Shinnie vs Diomande — The battle for midfield supremacy.
• Butland vs Nisbet — Can Aberdeen’s striker beat the Rangers wall?

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Spotlight Players

Rangers — Cyriel Dessers

The striker can be frustrating, but he often scores in big moments. With confidence flowing through the team, he will be hungry to add to his tally against a struggling Aberdeen defense.

Aberdeen — Graeme Shinnie

The captain embodies the fight Aberdeen desperately needs right now. If the Dons are to get anything, Shinnie needs to disrupt Rangers’ rhythm and drag his team into the contest.

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Prediction

Rangers 3–0 Aberdeen

The trajectories of these two teams couldn’t be more different. Rangers are flying after beating their biggest rivals, while Aberdeen are bereft of confidence after losing to Falkirk. Rangers have won the last two home meetings against the Dons by an aggregate of 7–0. Expect another comfortable night for the Light Blues.

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Betting Insights

• Rangers to Win — High Probability.
• Rangers -1.5 Handicap — Likely (Aberdeen struggling badly).
• Cyriel Dessers to Score — High Value.

Rangers vs Aberdeen — Where to Watch

• UK: Sky Sports Football
• International: RangersTV

Rangers vs Aberdeen — FAQs

Q: When is the Rangers vs Aberdeen match?

A: The match kicks off on Tuesday, 6 January 2026, at 20:00 GMT.

Q: Is Nedim Bajrami playing?

A: No. He is ruled out with an injury.

Q: Who is the favorite?

A: Rangers are heavy favorites due to their recent form and Aberdeen’s slump.

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