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Ibrox Rematch, Top Goalscorers, and Local Rivals: Scottish Cup 5th Round Breakdown

Sixteen teams remain in the Scottish Cup; here are the main points to watch out for this weekend. Game of the Round – Stenhousemuir v Falkirk Stenhousemuir face Falkirk on Sunday evening in a compelling meeting between two in‑form sides. Stenhousemuir sit joint‑top of League One and have lost only once in their last nine league matches, strengthened by their emphatic four‑goal win over Morton in the previous round that secured their place in the last 16. Matthew Aitken remains a key threat, having scored seven league goals, including a decisive double against Morton. The Ochilview outfit even lifted their first league title under Gary Naysmith’s guidance. Falkirk enter the fixture enjoying an equally impressive season. In their first top‑flight campaign in 15 years, they have established themselves comfortably in the top six and earned praise for their expansive style of play. Their penalty shootout victory over league leaders Hearts in the last round further highlighted their progress. Both teams approach the match with confidence, setting the stage for either a potential upset or another step forward for the Premiership side. Team Spotlight – Queens Park Scottish football is never short of drama, and Queen’s Park’s 4th Round journey delivered a similar shock. Stranraer originally thought they’d struck gold, defeating the Spiders on penalties to secure a massive 5th Round tie at Ibrox. However, the celebrations were short-lived; it emerged that stand-in keeper Lyndon Tas was ineligible, resulting in Stranraer’s disqualification. Now, Queen’s Park head to Ibrox for a 5th round rematch. Rangers fans may be nervous, and for good reason. Just 12 months ago, Philippe Clement’s side put in an abject performance as Seb Drozd’s 69th-minute winner etched his name into Scottish Cup folklore. Can the Spiders capitalise on this second chance and deliver another historic upset? Player to Watch – Tawanda Maswanhise Motherwell continue to fly under Jens Berthel Askou, sitting pretty in 4th and playing arguably the most attractive football in the country. With the Steelmen in peak form, fans are starting to dream of a first Scottish Cup triumph since 1991. Standing in their way of the quarter-finals is a managerless Aberdeen side. Askou has already tasted success against the Dons this season, knocking them out of the League Cup, and he’ll be leaning on the league’s top marksman to do it again. Tawanda Maswanhise is coming off a clinical brace against Livingston, and Saturday night under the lights is the perfect stage for the Zimbabwean to cement further his status as the league’s most dangerous man.

February 6, 2026

Transitions, Sporting Directors, and Premier League Loans: SPFL Breakdown Round 25

An intriguing midweek slate of Scottish Premiership football awaits. Here is what to watch out for across the next two days. Game of the Round – Aberdeen v Celtic The Scottish Champions travel to Pittodrie on Wednesday knowing there is little margin for error in an increasingly tense title race. Martin O’Neill’s second interim spell of the season has brought stability, with his side unbeaten in seven matches and securing a place in the Europa League knockout stage after a dominant win over Dutch side Utrecht. Bolstered by deadline‑day additions, striker Junior Adamu, winger Joel Mvuka, and centre‑back Benjamin Arthur, O’Neill will hope he has the tools to deliver a fifth consecutive league title. Aberdeen await, in far less convincing form. Saturday’s 3–0 defeat at Rugby Park has only deepened the uncertainty surrounding the club. Nearly a month has passed since Jimmy Thelin’s dismissal, yet the managerial search, led by sporting director Lutz Pfattinstiel, has still not produced a successor. Sitting five points adrift of the top six, time is running out for the Dons to salvage their season. With both teams navigating transitional periods, this Scottish Cup final rematch promises to be a fascinating encounter. Manager Spotlight – Marvin Bartley The former Queen of the South manager has taken over Davie Martindale’s long-term position at the Livingston helm, and faces the almighty task of halting a 24-match winless run. Sitting six points adrift at the foot of the table, points will be precious for the Lions, and Wednesday’s encounter against Falkirk may offer the best chance of ending the rut. Livingston’s sole victory this season was a 3-1 home win against the Bairns. The two sides produced a gripping championship title battle last season. Bartley will hope that his side can continue their nine-match unbeaten run against John McGlynn’s side, potentially springing them back into contention for survival. Player to Watch – Kai Andrews Hibs steadied a difficult two‑week run with a strong home performance against Rangers. Martin Boyle and Elie Youan both passed up golden opportunities, and David Gray will feel his side merited more than a single point. One of the standout performers on Sunday was Coventry loanee Kai Andrews. The midfielder, who previously featured for Motherwell, delivered an assured display after being introduced in the 10th minute for the injured Miguel Chaiwa. At just 19, he showed maturity beyond his years, going toe‑to‑toe with the likes of Nicolas Raskin and Thelo Aasgaard. Speaking at full‑time, Andrews expressed hope that a positive spell at Easter Road can strengthen his international prospects with Wales and potentially earn him a Premier League opportunity with high‑flying Coventry. Gray remains without midfield maestro Josh Mulligan, and with Dundee United visiting Easter Road, the manager may again turn to Andrews following his impressive debut outing. Hibs’ season hangs in the balance; they will need to chase down 4th-place Motherwell to have any chance of achieving back-to-back European campaigns. Could Andrews be the catalyst for the Hibees this season?

February 3, 2026

Rangers Finally Get Their Man Naderi

As the clock ticked down to the final seconds of the transfer window, Rangers finally announced the signing of German striker Ryan Naderi from 3.Liga club Hansa Rostock. The 22-year-old striker has 12 goal involvements in the 18 games he’s played in Germany’s third tier this season. Danny Röhl would have been desperate to get a striker in as goals from open play have been scarce for Rangers, with a big reason for that being a lack goals from strikers. With Youssef Chermiti and Bojan Miovski unable to be that focal point in the Rangers attack, Röhl will be hoping Naderi can bring his good form to Ibrox. With a reported fee of €5.5million, much higher than originally expected, it’s believed the extra money is to make sure Rangers get their man now instead of the summer. Hansa Rostock were adamant that the striker stayed with them until the summer, as they are currently in a fight to get promoted to Bundesliga 2 in Germany. However, Rangers in their hunt for the Scottish Premiership title, Andrew Cavanagh and the 49ers Enterprises have put their hands in their pockets to get their man in this window. This is the most expensive transfer out of the third tier of German football ever, and Naderi will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders. However, with Danny Röhl’s knowledge of German football, it’s obvious the Rangers boss has faith in his new acquisition.

February 3, 2026

Hibernian 0-0 Rangers: Both Teams Fire Blanks in the Capital

A blow to Rangers title hopes as they lose ground on Hearts at the top of the table as they played out an entertaining scoreless draw with Hibernian. Hibs came into this one off the back of a few poor results against Falkirk and in the cup against Dunfermline, with only two wins in their last five. Rangers are on a run of seven wins domestically and only lost their first game in nine away to Porto midweek as they were looking to continue their title push. There were two changes for Hibs as they looked to bounce back from a 4-1 loss at Falkirk, now departed Kieron Bowie and Jamie McGrath dropped out for Elle Youan and Joe Newell. As for Rangers they made five changes from the midweek loss to Porto, James Tavernier, Max Aarons, Nasser Djiga, Mohammed Diomande and now away Findlay Curtis are out for Dujon Sterling, Andreas Skov Olson, Tochi Chukwuani, Thelo Aasgaard and John Souttar. First action came for Rangers, a good ball from Djedi Gassama found Aasgaard in space on the edge of the area, but his shot was blocked for a Rangers corner. That corner was a good one onto the head of John Souttar, but his header flew over the bar and Hibs received a goal kick. As we reached the mid-way point of the first half, Rangers were consolidating possession but lacked directness in their play, Hibs were defending well but struggled to really test the Rangers defence. First real chance for Hibs came when Youan got a good cross in for Hibs skipper Joe Newell who found himself in space near the penalty spot, but his header went wide. Youan again looking lively as he beat Souttar to a high ball he managed to get into the area but his shot was beaten away by Rangers keeper Jack Butland Butland again was called into action after a good run by sub Kai Andrews found Youan and the Rangers keeper tipped the ball over the bar. A great ball in by Gassama was played back across goal by Skov Olsen and it had Jack Iredale panicking but the Hibs defender was able to clear before any Rangers players arrived. A good free kick in by Jordan Obita was cleared by the Rangers defence for a corner as Martin Boyle was lurking to try and get his toe on it. A ball through to Boyle is missed by Emmanuel Fernandez and he was through one on one with Butland but the keeper was able to save. Another Hibs chance followed as some good play finally released Obita on the left and his cross got to Youan at the back post and his header was wide when it really should have been a lot better. First shot of the second half came from Rangers as Fernandez wins the ball on the edge of the area and his deflected shot goes way over for a corner. Another headed chance for Hibs and Youan went over the bar once again after good running from Boyle kept the move alive. Another shot from outside the box from Fernandez is deflected and this time Raphael Salinger has to knock it behind for another corner. Good running from new signing Dane Scarlett won Hibs a first corner of the second half as they tried to put Rangers under some pressure again. Mikey Moore had the ball in the net but the flag went up, after a VAR review the decision was upheld and it stayed 0-0. Hibs went straight up the park after that and managed to get a shot away with Kanayo Megwa but Jack Butland was able to catch. As we went into the last 10 the game had opened up and both teams were attacking with intensity knowing one goal would likely win it. After a counter attack the ball fell to another new HIbs player Owen Elding but his shot was easy for Butland. Nedim Bajrami got the ball a bit of space and shaped to shoot, but his shot went way over the goal. Hibs win a corner in the last minute as Scarlett has a close range chance blocked by Souttar but the corner comes to nothing. A spectacular last minute overhead kick attempt by Bojan Miovski was saved by Raphael Salinger as the final whistle was blown. Next up for Hibs is another home game, this time they face Dundee United on Wednesday night where they’ll look to finally get back to winning ways. As for Rangers they’re also at home on Wednesday night against Kilmarnock who won their first game since the 4th October this weekend. Hibernian Raphael Salinger, Grant Hanley (Nicky Cadden 70), Elle Youan (Dane Scarlett 70), Martin Boyle (Owen Elding 66), Joe Newell (Rudi Molotnikov 66), Miguel Chaiwa (Kai Andrews 10), Jack Iredale, Jordan Obita, Dan Barlaser, Kanayo Megwa, Rocky Bushiri. Rangers Jack Butland, John Souttar, Andreas Skov Olsen (Nedim Bajrami 70), Youssef Chermiti, Thelo Aasgaard (Bojan Miovski 86), Dujon Sterling (Max Aarons 86), Djedi Gassama (Mikey Moore 56), Jayden Meghoma, Emmanuel Fernandez, Tochi Chuckwuani (Mohammed Diomande 70), Nicolas Raskin.

February 1, 2026

Dundee fans react to goalless draw.

St Mirren 0-0 Dundee: Dundee fans react to goalless draw against St Mirren in Paisley. @Neil Martin: “It’s a point a draw away from home. Probably would’ve taken that at the start of play though it’s a ‘winnable game’, disappointing given the man advantage we couldn’t capitalise on that. Still positives, bounced back from a defeat last week to get a point and kept a clean sheet we’re progressing.” @Logan Cavin: “Heavily missed Ashley Hay today in my opinion, final product just wasn’t there, hardly saw anything from Murray. Only thing I took away from that is Halliday looks great.” @Craig Gordon: Dhanda was off it today unfortunately. Creativity at a minimum across the board. Decent point considering below par all round. Graham looking classier by the week. Home vs Well next under the lights. We can beat them at Dens.” @derry_rhumba: “Fair result. Controlled parts of the game, particularly for spells in the first half, but a complete lack of a final ball of presence upfront killed us today. The substitutes didn’t work either, Reilly looked good but Bevan gave the ball away every single time he got it. Not a terrible result away from home though, and onto Motherwell at Dens.” @Jim Mooney: “Always a tricky place for us but not enough up front. Solid enough at the back against 2 troublesome strikers.” @Bruce Conacher: “Bevan and Reilly should be asked to play as strikers rather than wingers at the moment IMO. Think they would do great.” @Anthony Marshall: “Clean sheet and a point isn’t too bad – need that bit more up front but that will come, no point crying over spilt milk as it isn’t a defeat – perspective required. Will be interesting who comes in before the window shuts. All in all, onwards and upwards. Mon the Dees.”

January 31, 2026

Title Challengers, Midfield Replacements, and Winless Runs: SPFL Matchday 24 Breakdown

As the Scottish Premiership season ticks towards February, let’s break down the latest round of fixtures. Game of the Round – Hibernian v Rangers Eight straight league victories have propelled Rangers into second place, and despite a 3-1 defeat in Porto, optimism remains high on the blue side of Glasgow. Danny Rohl, who secured his first away win at the Ibrox helm on a cold October night at Easter Road, now looks to Sunday’s return fixture to edge closer to the high-flying Jambos. The January arrivals of Andreas Skov Olsen, Tochi Chukwuani, and Tuur Rommens have fueled the belief that a first Premiership title since 2021 is within reach, setting the stage for an electrifying few months. In contrast, Hibernian are reeling from a dismal end to January; after a Scottish Cup exit at the hands of former boss Neil Lennon, they were soundly beaten 4-1 by an invigorated Falkirk. With top scorer Kieron Bowie reportedly nearing a £6 million move to Hellas Verona, David Gray needs a mammoth performance from his side to claim their first win over Rangers since 2016. As Easter Road prepares for Sunday’s clash, the question is whether Rangers will stretch their winning run to nine games or if Hibs can ease the mounting pressure on their manager. Player to Watch – Marc Leonard The Birmingham midfielder joined Derek McInnes’s side just days before Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash with Celtic, signing a loan deal until the end of the season that could see the former Hearts youngster become a vital part of their title charge. With Cammy Devlin sidelined by injury, Leonard appears to be an ideal replacement for the influential Australian; despite some early nerves on his debut, he grew into the game by showcasing an impressive passing range and a relentless work rate against the Celtic midfield. Having proven he is up for the fight, Leonard will likely keep his place for Saturday’s trip to Tannadice, where another positive performance could help Hearts extend their lead at the summit to seven points. Team Spotlight – Kilmarnock Neil McCann’s appointment at Rugby Park came as a surprise to many, marking his return to the dugout for the first time in over five years. His tenure has seen mixed results so far; after battling to a draw against Livingston, Kilmarnock suffered a disappointing Scottish Cup exit followed by a heavy defeat to an in-form Motherwell. Now precariously sitting in 11th place, McCann’s side must rely on their home form to survive, and a clash with an inconsistent Aberdeen side this Saturday offers a prime opportunity to kick-start his Ayrshire reign. With the 4-0 loss at Fir Park stretching Killie’s winless run to 16 matches, all eyes are on whether they can finally end their horror streak this weekend.

January 30, 2026

Hibernian announce first signing of the window.

Hibernian have announced the signing of Owen Elding from Sligo Rovers. Elding joins on an four-and-a-half year deal with Hibs paying an undisclosed fee. David Gray’s side have longed for a striker to fill a tall, physical profile to compete with the highly sought after Kieron Bowie. Hibs missed out on Lyndon Dykes on deadline day during the last window, with the Scotland striker since moving to Charlton. Elding is now expected to fill this profile standing at 6ft 2. He has also played part of his career on the right wing, cutting onto his left foot, extremely similar to Kieron Bowie when he first moved to Edinburgh. Elding is an extremely highly rated youngster back in Ireland, with the 19-year-old also being linked with European clubs such as Club Brugge, Sturm Graz and even Juventus. In his first interview with the club, Elding said: “I’m buzzing to be here. Got here this morning, did the medical, met a few of the lads, and I’m just buzzing to get going now. “It’s been hectic. I came in this morning, met everyone and all the staff. Done the medical; there was a lot of testing to be done. “I came over and visited, and I stayed over last week and watched a few games. It was just the ambition of the Club [that made me want to come here] from when I came round and looked at all the facilities. “Everything’s top drawer and I’m just buzzing to get going.” In the 2025 League of Ireland season, Elding found the net on 12 occasions whilst also bagging the Young Player of the Year award. When talking about what he wants to achieve at Hibs, Elding said: “I’m hoping to come in and make a big impact straight away; come in, score a few goals and help the team. “But, in the long run, hopefully we can get the team into Europe. This club should be competing in European competitions and winning trophies. “I’m a good, honest worker “I know where the net is. I’ll give everything for the team and hopefully we can win some football matches.” This marks Hibs’ first signing of a quiet window, which has frustrated many fans. The club are still linked with German fullback Felix Passlack, but his move is thought to be held up by VfL Bochum anticipating a replacement before allowing the move to go through. Rumours have also started circulating that David Gray’s side will add ex-Motherwell midfielder Kai Andrews to the ranks, whilst a club-record sale of Kieron Bowie to Hellas Verona seems to be a formality at this stage. Owen Edling could make his Hibs debut as early as Sunday at home to Rangers.

January 29, 2026

How the Scottish Premiership UEFA coefficient shapes European places

A close insight on how the UEFA coefficient is calculated and what it means for European qualification A poor season in Europe for Scottish clubs, means damage to the coefficient. From heartbreak in Kazakhstan for Celtic, demolition in Belgium for Rangers and humiliation for Aberdeen in Greece, it’s been a season to forget for Scottish clubs competing in Europe. However, Celtic have a chance to progress further into the Europa League if they manage to win against struggling FC Utrecht on Thursday evening, which will make a slight difference to the coefficient. Together, a total of 4 points have been added to the coefficient for Scotland so far, and with only three wins in total from group stage action and the Europa League campaign coming to an end this has caused problems for the Scottish coefficient. Scotland sit well outside the top 15 and trail Cyprus by 3.893 points, which means a reduced number of teams competing in Europe next season. Champions League qualifiers could possibly turn into Conference League qualifiers for second and if you manage to win the Scottish Cup, four qualifying rounds sit in front of you before group stage football is even mentioned. Financially all together, Scottish sides including Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, Hibs and Dundee United have made a total of €37.2 million in earnings, with Rangers and Celtic both earning over €15 million. €40 million was guaranteed for Celtic if they beat Kairat Almaty in August which they failed to do so. But if Rangers go on to win the title under Danny Rohl, they would have a good chance of being guaranteed automatic qualification to the Champions League, but there are a few things that would need to go there way if that was to happen, including Greek giants Olympiacos and Danish side Copenhagen failing to progress domestically and in Europe. As of next season, Rangers will lose a huge portion of their coefficient points (19), which was accumulated with their amazing run in the Europa League which they got to the final in 2022. This will mean Rangers will begin next season with a high percentage chance that automatically qualifying to the Champions League if they win the title in 2026/27 would not be possible due to this season’s shocking run. And if this poor European form continues in Scotland, by season 2027/28 the impact will hit, when the first-place achievement is Champions League qualifying round 2. If this is the case, trying to bring talent into the Scottish League and trying to keep a hold of talent will be very difficult as top players want to play in top European competitions, and if Scottish teams can’t offer that then players will look elsewhere, which could hurt Scottish football.

January 27, 2026

“I felt our performance was shocking….” – SNN Sports Fan View

Another thrilling weekend of Scottish Premiership saw Aberdeen dismantle Livingston, Hearts come back twice against Celtic, and Rangers move closer to the summit. We asked SNN viewers for their opinion on the latest round of fixtures. Hearts 2-2 Celtic – “McInnes will take plenty of positives” “Hearts did well to dig out a result after a poor first half. To go behind twice and equalise late on through Claudio Braga shows the characteristics of a potential title-winning side. Digging in deep and having that belief to still get something out of the game. McInnes will take plenty of positives from that second half going into the Dundee United game.” Matthew – Hearts Fan Rangers 3-0 Dundee – “We can find a way to win without being impressive” “I felt our performance was shocking; we lacked urgency and fluidity in the final third for most of the game. Dundee were smart in how they slowed the game down and frustrated us. The lift once the crowd knew Hearts and Celtic had finished 2-2. In terms of the season, it’s hard to predict because we do need another signing, but there have been quality additions, and if they settle, I think we’re well-positioned to keep pushing ahead. The aim is the title now, which is exciting.” Taylor – Rangers Fan Aberdeen 6-2 Livingston – “Best we’ve played all season” “First time I have seen us utilise Keskinen properly – 100% helped with Mitchel Frame’s performance, we used the wings and actually played balls into the box, which benefited us massively. It’s clear [Peter Leven] is a brilliant coach, but I’d like to see someone else brought in from a different league to steady the ship” Ronnie – Aberdeen Fan Motherwell 4-0 Kilmarnock – “Great Performance” “An excellent performance by Motherwell. The momentum was clearly set from the beginning, despite an early chopped off goal for Kilmarnock. Two fantastic finishes by Elijah Just and Maswanhise, respectively. Great performance Scott – Motherwell Fan

January 27, 2026

Scotland to face AFCON Quarter Finalists as World Cup preparations take shape

Scotland will face Côte d’Ivoire in a friendly at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium, and Steve Clarke expects a “stern test” from the Elephants. The friendly is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31st (7:30 pm kick-off), and will be the first meeting between the international sides. Scotland will travel to Merseyside three days after hosting Japan at Hampden, and with one overseas friendly to be announced, the preparations are taking shape for Clarke’s team. Speaking on the Scotland National Team website, Clarke said: “We’re pleased to confirm Côte d’Ivoire as our second opponents for the March international window, following on from Japan’s visit to Glasgow. “We wanted to face African opposition before we play Morocco in the summer, and I’m sure Côte d’Ivoire will give us a really stern test. “It will also be good to play at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool. The supporters will enjoy the opportunity to visit the new stadium.”

January 26, 2026

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