Hibernian vs Rangers Prediction: A must win contest for the visitors

At Easter Road, Hibernian is set to host Rangers in the 18th round of the Scottish Premiership. While Rangers currently hold an advantage, Hibernian aims to demonstrate strength on their home turf. Let's delve into the match previews and formulate a prediction.

Hibernian enters this upcoming game on the back of a 2-2 draw in the Premiership against Motherwell. In that contest, Hibernian held 68% possession and attempted 13 shots on goal, with Élie Youan scoring in the 28th and 91st minutes. Motherwell, on the other hand, had 9 attempts, with Theo Bair (35') and Bevis Mugabi (64') finding the net.

In their last 6 matches, Hibernian, under the management of Nick Montgomery, has scored a total of 6 goals, averaging 1 goal per game. However, their recent form highlights that Hibernian has not secured a victory against Rangers in their last 20 league encounters and has been without a home win in the past 2 league matches.

Rangers enter this upcoming match on the back of a 3-1 victory in the Premiership against Kilmarnock. In that game, Rangers maintained 61% possession and attempted 18 shots on goal, with goals coming from Ross McCausland (41'), Abdallah Sima (45'), and Todd Cantwell (61'). Kilmarnock had 6 attempts, and Daniel Armstrong (59') scored for them.

Over their last 6 matches, Rangers have scored a total of 12 goals and have not failed to find the back of the net in any of those games. However, their defenders have conceded 5 goals during this period. Looking ahead to this fixture, Rangers have remained unbeaten against Hibernian in their previous 11 away league games.

This match holds significant importance for the visitors who aim to narrow the league gap, particularly considering their upcoming fixtures with Celtic. Given their squad's quality, it seems unlikely for them to face a defeat in this encounter. On the other hand, Hibernian is currently going through a challenging phase, and I anticipate them struggling here, conceding at least three goals.