Hearts v Rangers: Scottish League Cup semi-final preview

Hearts and Rangers converge on Hampden on Sunday hoping they are two steps away from ending their long barren spells in the League Cup.

Considering the Ibrox side have lifted the trophy a record 27 times, their fans will think it is about time they ended a 12-year wait for another one.

They should try being among the long-suffering Hearts support. The last of the Edinburgh side's four League Cup triumphs came in October 1962.

Hearts have also had to endure a 10-game run without a victory over Rangers since progressing after a 1-0 Scottish Cup win in February 2020.

The latest of those came last weekend, when Hearts looked on the brink of ending a nine-year wait for a victory at Ibrox until two stoppage-time goals rescued three points for the hosts.

Hearts have since beaten Livingston 1-0 at Tynecastle to end a three-game run without a victory, but Rangers are the form side having gone five without defeat, four under new manager Philippe Clement.

Indeed, only a 0-0 draw away to Sparta Prague in the Europa League has prevented a 100% record.

After the controversy surrounding the pyrotechnics that helped delay kick-off in Rangers' 5-0 thumping of Dundee on Wednesday, both sides will be hoping any 5 November 'fireworks' at Hampden are metaphorical.

Players to watch

Danilo has netted five times since joining Rangers

Rangers - Danilo

Danilo has been a slow burner since his big-money summer transfer from Feyenoord, but the masked man of Ibrox has come out of hiding in recent weeks.

Hampered by injury, most notably the fractured cheekbone suffered while scoring against St Johnstone, the 24-year-old has overcome the need to wear facial protection on his return.

He has scored two in two, including last weekend's dramatic league winner against Sunday's opponents, and emerged as his side's biggest goal threat.

Hearts - Lawrence Shankland

Every time we write about Hearts in this context, it is hard to escape picking out Lawrence Shankland as their key man - and not just because he has shouldered the captaincy burden so well since Craig Gordon's long-term injury.

The 28-year-old striker has put an eight-game barren spell behind him to score twice in his latest three outings, including one against Rangers at Ibrox.

However, the absence of Alex Lowry, who is unable to face his parent club, could be significant as that recent improvement has coincided with the creative on-loan Rangers midfielder becoming a regular starter.

Managers in the spotlight

Hearts - Steven Naismith

Former Ibrox striker Naismith will head to Hampden with a sense of hurt having been left raging by the late penalty that allowed Rangers to equalise last weekend at Ibrox.

He also talked on Friday about how close Hearts had been to cup glory in recent years and the need to take that next step.

Indeed, this is the first League Cup meeting between the sides since Naismith came on as a substitute in a 3-0 semi-final defeat on 3 November 2019, a game started by five of the current Rangers squad and none of Hearts'.

Rangers - Philippe Clement

Clement has steered Rangers out of the choppy waters that engulfed predecessor Michael Beale and two late goals avoided what would have been a mini-crisis had they lost at home to their Hampden opponents last weekend.

However, the Belgian will realise that missing a golden opportunity to secure Rangers' first League Cup in 12 years with holders Celtic already out of the competition would not go down well with the fans or board.