Preview: Annan Athletic vs. Rangers - prediction, team news, lineups

Annan Athletic will be hoping to provide a major Scottish Cup upset on Saturday when they host the defending Scottish Premiership champions Rangers at Galabank.

The Gers struggled after the turn of the year, and that saw them drop into second place within the league, but since then they have won consecutive games, and the squad will be wanting to continue that at the weekend.

Match preview

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Annan Athletic might be the underdogs heading into this match, but the squad have a lot more experience within the competition this season due to the fact that they entered in the second round.

The squad comfortably beat Jeanfield Swifts 3-1 at that stage, and they followed that up by defeating Gala Fairydean Rovers, but their fourth-round match was a much closer encounter.

It was a seven-goal thriller that brought them to this point, with extra-time goals from Robb McCartney and Iain Anderson ensuring they came from behind to win 4-3 in order to face Rangers.

Now they face their toughest challenge yet, but Peter Murphy's side have been performing well in the Scottish League Two this season, and they are in the mix for promotion, currently sitting in third place.

Annan have already gone much further than last season, having been knocked out in the second round previously, but the squad will be hoping to provide a major upset to earn their place in the quarter-finals.

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Rangers will also be wanting to be part of the final eight, as they were defeated at that stage in the competition last season by the eventual winners St Johnstone, via a penalty shootout. s

The Gers shall be keen to continue their recent form as the squad is looking to get their season back on track after a difficult start to 2022, which saw them drop down into second place following a loss to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

However, since that point Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men have been back to their dominant best, picking up consecutive victories where they have been strong both defensively and in the attack.

Allan McGregor has kept clean sheets in both of those games, while Rangers have found the back of the net seven times in that period, which included an emphatic 5-0 win against Hearts.

Their most recent outing saw the Gers earn three points by beating Hibernian 2-0 with James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos getting on the scoresheet, and that is something they would like to replicate this time around.

Team News

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Michael Garrity recently returned to Annan Athletic on a loan deal until the end of the season, and after appearing from the bench at the weekend, the forward could be given further opportunities on Saturday.

Tommy Goss has been the main attacking threat for the club this season, scoring six times in the league, and he will be sure to start and look to impose himself on the visitors throughout the game.

For the visitors, there is a good chance that Rangers will look to rotate their squad this weekend in order to rest some of their regular first-team members ahead of their Europa League game next week.

Jon McLaughlin will likely be given an opportunity to start in goal, while the likes of John Lundstram and Cedric Itten could also be set for some game time.

This could also provide Van Bronckhorst with the perfect opportunity to give Aaron Ramsey his first start since joining the club during the January transfer window.

Annan Athletic possible starting lineup:
Fleming; Barnes, Douglas, Swinglehurst, Clark; Johnston, Hunter, Moxon, Wallace; Garrity, Goss

Rangers possible starting lineup:
McLaughlin; Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Simpson; Lundstram, Ramsey, Lowry; Sakala, Barker, Itten

We say: Annan Athletic 0-4 Rangers

Despite the fact that Annan Athletic are at home and have been impressive in this competition so far, facing Rangers could prove to be a step too far for the club.

The Gers will be the clear favourites heading into this match, and with the recent form they have displayed in front of goal, they should be able to progress comfortably.

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