Motherwell vs Rangers Prediction: Rangers must control their fate

In an upcoming Christmas Eve clash at Fir Park, there will be a meeting between the second-placed team, Rangers, and the team positioned second from the bottom, Motherwell, in the Scottish Premiership. Despite closing the gap to two points behind league leaders Celtic in their midweek fixture, Rangers, a Glasgow-based club, is on the rise. On the other hand, Motherwell has been enduring a challenging streak, waiting for 14 games to secure a win, and facing an even longer winless run against their upcoming opponents.

Motherwell heads into this upcoming match after a goalless draw against St Mirren in the Premiership. In that fixture, Motherwell held 43% possession and attempted 8 shots on goal, with 4 of them on target. St Mirren, their opponents, managed 10 attempts, with 3 on target. Notably, Motherwell has struggled to keep clean sheets in recent times, conceding in 5 of their last 6 games and letting in a total of 10 goals during this period.

Looking at pre-game statistics, it's significant to note that Motherwell hasn't secured a victory against Rangers in their last 56 league matches, highlighting the challenges they face against this particular opponent. Despite this, Motherwell has shown some resilience in their recent home performances, being unbeaten in their last 2 league matches at home.

Rangers enter this upcoming match following a 2-0 victory over St Johnstone in the Premiership. In that game, Rangers dominated possession with 71% and took 28 attempts on goal, with 8 on target. Goals were scored by Cyriel Dessers (28') and James Tavernier (85'). St Johnstone managed only 2 attempts on goal, with none on target. The Rangers' defensive unit has been effective, conceding only 4 goals in their last 6 outings, while their forwards have scored a total of 11 during the same period.

Analyzing their recent performances, Rangers boast an impressive record against Motherwell in away games, having gone unbeaten for the last 28 league matches. Additionally, Rangers are currently undefeated in their last 7 league matches away from home, indicating their consistency and resilience on the road.

Since August, the Steelmen have gone winless at home and in their last fourteen league games overall. Curiously, they have scored in every home game this season but one, so they should have no trouble finding the back of the net here. With seven shutouts under their belt, the Gers have swept their past ten league matches. As heavy favorites, they have won their last four away games against the hosts, scoring 15 goals and allowing just five goals. Given the dissimilarity in recent results and the visitors' superior head-to-head record, I am taking the visitors to a razor-thin victory.