- 1 Aberdeen vs Rangers: the balance of power swings back at Pittodrie
- 2 Aberdeen: five wins from six and a striker in red-hot form
- 3 Rangers: one point in the league and another European setback to absorb
- 4 Football Prediction Aberdeen vs Rangers
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information moves fast
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Aberdeen vs Rangers: the balance of power swings back at Pittodrie 
Aberdeen have three points from their first two Scottish Premiership games, while Rangers have only one. Sunday’s clash pits a side with momentum against one still trying to find its feet.
Kick-off is at 12:00 local time at Pittodrie Stadium in the fourth round of the Scottish championship. The early start comes just three days after the visitors’ European trip.
Derek McInnes took charge of Rangers this summer after a strong spell on the Hearts bench. Seven games in, he has only two wins to show for it.
Across the dugout, Stephen Robinson has been in charge of Aberdeen since March 2026 and has put together a solid start. Four wins from four in Group A of the Scottish League Cup, 12 points, top spot.
The Gers were dumped out in the Conference League play-offs by Jablonec on penalties. Aberdeen, meanwhile, followed up with a 3-0 win over Dundee that sent them into the League Cup quarter-finals.
Aberdeen’s last win over Rangers came in October 2024. The head-to-head still leans towards the Glasgow side, but the gap in form between the two teams has rarely looked this thin heading into a fixture like this.
The table does not mean much yet after three games, but these early-season meetings often set the tone in Scotland. A defeat at Pittodrie would leave Rangers with just one point from nine.
Aberdeen also know a win would put three points between them and their old rivals. That is a scenario Pittodrie has not seen for almost two years.
Aberdeen: five wins from six and a striker in red-hot form 
Aberdeen’s numbers at the start of the season read five wins and one defeat, all competitions included. The only slip-up was a 2-0 loss at Dens Park against Dundee on matchday two.
That setback did not linger. A few days later, the Dons hosted the same Dundee side in the League Cup and beat them 3-0.
The way that game unfolded says plenty about Robinson’s team: three goals in 12 second-half minutes. Aberdeen know how to turn a match fast.
Their league opener followed a similar script. Behind against Hearts, the Dons came back with two goals in the 90th minute to win 2-1.
Kevin Nisbet is carrying the attack almost on his own, with nine goals in seven appearances across all competitions. Nobody else in the squad is anywhere near that output.
The weak spot is at the back, with Mats Knoester, Kristers Tobers and Kusini Yengi all missing and none expected before next month. That is the only real concern for a side arriving full of confidence.
Their Scottish League Cup run is worth a closer look. Four wins from four group games, 12 points from 12, then a place in the quarter-finals against Kilmarnock.
That tie does not come around until later in the season, which gives Robinson room to pick his strongest XI on Sunday. There is no need to rotate, and no excuse to soften up the Dons.
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Rangers: one point in the league and another European setback to absorb 
Rangers have taken just one point from their opening two Scottish Premiership matches. A 1-1 draw at Dundee United was followed by a 1-2 home defeat to Hibernian.
The problem runs deeper than the league table. Across their first four games of the season, McInnes has lost two and drawn two, including a 1-1 with Jagiellonia Bialystok.
Last week’s exit will still sting. After winning 1-0 in the first leg against Jablonec, the Gers lost 1-0 away and then 4-3 on penalties, going out in the Conference League play-offs.
Their only recent bright spot was the 5-1 thumping of St Mirren in the League Cup. It stands out in a run that has not inspired much confidence.
McInnes is expected to shuffle his team after the poor showing in the Czech Republic. Lawrence Shankland and Thelo Aasgaard are likely to lead the line, with Connor Barron alongside Dan Neil in midfield.
The schedule is not helping. A midweek European trip followed by a Sunday lunchtime kick-off at Pittodrie leaves little room to recover, and freshness is becoming a real issue for the visitors.
Over their last six games in all competitions, Rangers have two wins, one draw and three defeats. None of those wins came in the league.
Pressure is building on the new boss after that early European exit. A third straight Scottish Premiership game without a win would leave his side in a awkward spot by the end of August.
Expected Aberdeen XI: Muller ; Cadden, Mayo, Happe, Guinness-Walker ; Armstrong, Afeez ; Olusanya, Briedl, Yogane ; Nisbet
Expected Rangers XI: Pandur ; Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice ; Barron, Neil ; Yokota, Aasgaard, Gassama ; Shankland
Football Prediction Aberdeen vs Rangers
Our prediction: Aberdeen to win
Aberdeen have won five of their last six and are up against a side that has just gone out of Europe on penalties. The form gap is obvious.
Nisbet, with nine goals in seven outings, gives the Dons a cutting edge Rangers have not shown at the start of the season, with just one point from two league matches.
The call is straightforward: Aberdeen to win at Pittodrie.
Aberdeen’s defensive absentees are the main counterpoint, with Knoester, Tobers and Yengi all unavailable. It still is not enough to outweigh form this clear.
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