Rangers vs Hearts perhaps wasn’t the first fixture you looked for on the calendar at the start of the season, but it might be these days.
Hearts’ ridiculously impressive form since the season began means next month’s clash at Ibrox could be memorable. Craig Levein’s side have won five matches in a row, and are looking like serious contenders this season.
Rangers were being touted as being Celtic’s main challengers for the league this season. It appears, however, that the Jambos are determined to put themselves into the conversation.
Another win, this time at Motherwell on Saturday, has only increased the confidence around Tynecastle. This is now a Hearts side who are becoming something of a force this season. They can play in a variety of different ways and combat different styles of play.
Therefore, when Hearts pitch up at Ibrox in October, this’ll be more than just another league game. It’s a game-changer.
Rangers are already seven points behind the Jambos, so falling even further behind would be extremely unsatisfactory. Hearts may have had a terrific start, but Rangers should be expecting to reign them in.
How big would a win be?
A win and things could start to change at the top of the table. At the moment, it remains to be seen if this is just the crest of a wave, or something more. Nobody can argue there isn’t a confidence flowing through Tynecastle at the moment, however.
Hearts are turning up at venues they would usually struggle at and winning comfortably. Big successes at Kilmarnock and Motherwell stand-out, as does their terrific victory against Celtic at Tynecastle.
Not only will the result be extremely intriguing, but so will how the game flows. Are Hearts going to dominate the game and prove they’re the real deal this season? Or are Rangers going to turn up with their new stars and play them off the park? Or could we even be set for a blockbuster with both sides trading blows? Perhaps a close-game with few chances?
The fact nobody really knows shows how big a game this has the potential of being. The full-time result will be a game-changer, regardless of which way it goes.
