Hearts 2-1 Rangers: Danny Röhl's unbeaten Scottish Premiership run comes to an end as The Jambos strengthen title bid
Report as Hearts strengthen their bid for the Scottish Premiership title with a win over Rangers; Danny Röhl tastes league defeat for the first time at Rangers since taking over in October
Sunday 21 December 2025 20:35, UK
Hearts strengthened their bid for the Scottish Premiership title with a 2-1 win over Rangers at Tynecastle Park.
Goals from Stuart Findlay and Lawrence Shankland also ensured Danny Röhl's unbeaten league run at Rangers since taking over from Russell Martin in October was brought to an emphatic end.
For Kris Boyd, it was a performance worthy of a side that will go "all the way" to winning the Premiership.
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It was Rangers who thought they would reignite title hopes of their own before their early opener was chalked off for offside. James Tavernier's corner was met and turned goalwards by Emmanuel Fernandez, but an eager Bojan Miovski tapped home at the back post despite being in an offside position.
Rangers' seemingly rampant start worked to just fuel the homeside who then took on a greater impetus. From a set piece of their own, The Jambos found their opener. A one-two between Kizidris and Braga opened up the space for the latter to swing in a cross to find Findlay who crashed in to put his side ahead.
Within five minutes, Hearts had found a second. Findlay's long ball forward was flicked on by McEntee towards Braga who nodded down into the path of Shankland. Needing no invitation, despite a tight angle, the skipper drilled home, beating Jack Butland.
Shankland could have had a hat-trick of his own on the day. He missed two glaring opportunities in the second half, placing wide for one while making the other easy for Butland to keep out one-on-one.
However, Hearts' first-half endeavours were enough to ensure that Yousseff Chermiti's injury-time goal provided very little in the way of a threat to their win. Victory for Hearts means they are the first team to win four successive matches against the Old Firm since Dundee in 1985.
Derek McInnes' side also inflict a first league defeat for Rangers on the road since Boxing Day 2024 and sit top at Christmas for the first time since 1991. Only once in the last 13 years has the Christmas league leaders not gone on to win the Premiership.
Hearts go 12 points clear of Rangers and will keep a keen eye on Celtic's clash at Aberdeen, to hopefully stay nine clear of the Hoops, should they lose.
Boyd: Rangers are out of it | Hearts are going all the way
Sky Sports' Kris Boyd:
"You look at this Hearts team and they know what they are doing, Shankland outstanding - how he never ended up at Rangers in the summer is incredible - and he has shown again today what a good player he is. The other two alongside him are a threat all day long.
"This Hearts team - because of the dominance of Rangers and Celtic in this league for so long, there is a reluctance to sway to someone else - have arrived and are here, they are going to go all the way and Rangers are out of it, they are finished and can forget about it, 12 points is too much to claw back.
"Celtic have a big afternoon right now, it is not all rosy in the East End of Glasgow right now and if Hearts can capitalise on that, they are favourites right now for the title."
Sutton: Hearts were superb - what a job McInnes has done
Sky Sports' Chris Sutton:
"This Hearts team, in every department they were superb, they have strength and depth.
"They are maybe over-reliant on the front three for creativity, but top scorers, top of the league, what a job Derek McInnes has done."
McInnes: We are exactly where we want to be
Hearts boss Derek McInnes:
"We're exactly where we want to be. I've said that to the players. We've put that demand on ourselves to make sure we turn up to in-cast.
"If we weren't to in-cast, it would be something that lets us thrive on performance and tries to get positive results.
I think the support sees how the players work for the club, and how they work for each and every result. But we've also got good, talented players in here as well.
"So, we've got a wee bit of everything, but just delighted with how the players have dealt with each and every game. They're an absolute pleasure to work with, day in, day out. And we're just really dealing with games as they come along. So, I'm not surprised. As you said, I expected us to win today, but I expected it to be tough, and it was tough."
Röhl: Hearts the best team we have played
Rangers boss Danny Röhl:
"We are not happy, disappointed about the result. I think until the first conceded goal we were fantastic in the game. We scored after a set play, then it was offside. I think the story was there. You felt in the stadium after our goal, it was right, and then you conceded two quick goals against a team that are very strong in set play. It should not be like this.
"I think it was for me, since I'm here, the best team we played, and this is where we want to go. I think I said this many, many times, it's about steps, and there will be also some steps more sideways than forwards, and today it was maybe more sideways than forwards. This is what we have to improve as a group. We have to come into such a game 100 per cent as a group, but also individually, then we have the chance to win such games in the future."
