Away days to define Rangers Premiership title challenge

• Rangers face three away games post-split, including trips to Celtic Park, Tynecastle and likely Falkirk.
• Despite this, they lead the league in away points per game, outperforming Celtic and Hearts.
• Difficult venues remain a challenge, meaning near-perfect results are required to ensure the title.

Rangers will find out their post-split Premiership fixtures shortly, after Falkirk secured a top six finish with their weekend win over Motherwell.

With a top half of Rangers, Hearts, Celtic, Hibernian, Motherwell and Falkirk, this ensures Danny Rohl’s side will play three away games in their final half dozen matchdays.

They are certain to visit both Celtic Park and Tynecastle, with a third away trip to John McGlynn’s Bairns also likely.

This means Rangers will only welcome Hibs and the Steelmen post-split.

Meanwhile, Celtic are set for the opposite scenario, with three home matches and two away.

Rangers away form

However, this may not be the disadvantage to Rangers that it initially seems.

Celtic top the away Premiership table, with nine wins, three draws and thirty points, but from 17 games.

The Gers, meanwhile, have seven wins and seven draws from just 15 away ties.

Meaning, Rangers sit top on points per away games.

Celtic: 30 points from 17 games → 1.76 PPG

Rangers: 28 points from 15 games → 1.87 PPG

Heart of Midlothian: 27 points from 16 games → 1.69 PPG

However, the trips Rohl will face, are not the easiest.

Rangers have failed to win at either Hearts or Falkirk this season, drawing at the Bairns in Russell Martin’s final match, and losing to the table-topping Jam Tarts in Midlothian, in what remains Rohl’s only league defeat as Rangers boss.

Despite cup defeats and a disappointing draw with Celtic at Ibrox, Rohl has a victory in his only visit to Celtic Park – winning 3-1 in the New Year’s Derby match.

Read Rangers analysis

The Rangers boss spoke about his aims for perfection across the six remaining fixtures, with Sunday’s trip to Falkirk their final regular season match.

“You have to be the hunter, I think this is very crucial,” he explained.

“We must be on front foot and if we win six games, then we will have something at the end of the season.

“My group of players has the potential to do this, but it’s still a long way and I think there’s no secret. 

“Next week away in Falkirk, a very, very difficult one.

“Do it step by step. From the nine finals, we won the first three.

“We have to be humble and ready for the next fight.”

Rangers path to the title is clear but demanding.

Their away strength offers encouragement, but with difficult trips ahead, only near-perfect form will be enough to secure the Premiership.

Six “cup finals” to go, and six wins the only way to ensure silverware returning to Ibrox this season.