Hearts v Rangers: TV channel; kick-off time; team news; form guide; odds
and live on Freeview channel 276
TV and ticket info
The game is being broadcast live on Sky Sports. It is shown on both Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football. Coverage starts at 12noon for both. It ends on Main Event at 2.30pm and Football at 3pm.
Pay-per-view streaming is once again permitted for fans who live inside the UK and Ireland for SPFL games, but not for fixtures which are shown live on Sky Sports. Hearts fans outside the UK and Ireland can still watch on Hearts TV.
Match details
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Hide AdThe kick-off time is 12.30pm on Saturday, October 1. The match is being held at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh.
Team news
Hearts are expected to have Lewis Neilson in the starting XI despite the young centre-back limping out of Scotland’s under-21s victory over Northern Ireland. Craig Halkett is rated as touch-and-go after having his hamstring issue flare up in the 2-0 win over RFS in the Europa Conference League.
Form guide
Hearts ended a streak of three consecutive defeats with victories in each of their last two matches before the international break.
Rangers won their last match, an unconvincing 2-1 home win over Dundee United, after a three-game losing streak which saw them ship 11 without reply to Celtic, Ajax and Napoli.
Head-to-head
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Hide AdRangers may have been undefeated against Robbie Neilson’s men last season in five matches with four wins, but we don’t have to go too far back for the last Jambos victory against the Ibrox men. Under ex-manager Daniel Stendel, Hearts defeated their Glasgow foes twice in the space of five weeks in the 2019/20 season. The last was a 1-0 Scottish Cup win with Oliver Bozanic scoring the only goal.
Match officials
Steven McLean will be the leading official for this contest. The whistler last took charge of a Hearts game in the uneventful 0-0 draw with Ross County last season.
Manager thoughts
"Both teams will be going into the game full of confidence," Robbie Neilson said. "We have had a couple of weeks' rest and are ready to go, but we see it as a great opportunity. We know if we win the game on Saturday we go second, which is massive for us.”
Bookies’ odds
Home 15/4, Draw 3/1, Away 7/10, with Bet365.