St Johnstone's improved form faces a stern test this week when they travel to face Rangers at Ibrox. The Perth side, currently fifth in the Scottish Premiership with 12 points from nine games, are unbeaten in their last two away trips but have not won at Rangers in nearly nine years. They are 12 points behind leaders Celtic in the title race.
St Johnstone have lost just one of their past six league matches, a run that includes two wins and three draws. They avoided defeat in their latest two away fixtures, drawing with Dundee United and winning at Aberdeen. Their most recent result was a 1-1 home draw with Dundee United last Saturday 17 October, where Josh Fowler opened the scoring in the 21st minute. That result leaves them with a record of three wins, three draws and three losses from the opening nine games, scoring and conceding 11 goals each. Their recent form over the last four matches stands at one win, two draws and one loss, following the sequence of a draw with Dundee United, a win at Aberdeen, a draw with Falkirk and a loss to Celtic. The victory at Aberdeen on Sunday 11 October was secured by a 14th-minute penalty from J. Fowler.
Rangers saw their six-game winning run in the league end with a 2-2 draw against Dundee in their last outing. A notable statistic is that Philippe Clement's side has spent 50.8% of their game time drawing in the Premiership this season, the highest proportion of any team. They sit second in the standings, providing a formidable challenge for any visitor.
The historical data makes for tough reading for St Johnstone supporters. Rangers have won the last nine meetings between the sides in all competitions by a combined score of 18-1. St Johnstone's last victory at Ibrox was a 3-1 triumph in December 2017, and they are winless in 12 visits since, managing only two draws. Their most recent encounter was a 4-2 win over Cove Rangers in a pre-season friendly back in July.
The teams meet again this Saturday, 24 October, at Ibrox Stadium. St Johnstone will aim to use their current resilience to finally break a long-running hoodoo against one of the league's top sides. Their next fixture is away to Rangers, who are second in the table.
Further reading: bbc.com
