Rangers got back to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Hearts at Tynecastle, aided by two own goals from Jamie McCart.
It was the Ibrox side’s first outing since their shock Scottish Cup exit to Queen’s Park, and they ensured a positive response in Edinburgh. A brace of own goals from McCart, along with a strike from Vaclav Cerny, secured all three points for Philippe Clement’s team.
Despite the win, Rangers remain firmly in second place—13 points adrift of Celtic at the top of the table and 18 points ahead of third-placed Aberdeen. Meanwhile, the defeat ended Hearts’ impressive unbeaten start to 2025, which had stretched across eight games since their Boxing Day loss to Hibs.
Early Pressure from Hearts
The home side started strongly, creating several good chances in the first half. Lawrence Shankland and Elton Kabangu both came close to finding the net, only to be denied by Jack Butland’s excellent goalkeeping.
However, against the run of play, Rangers took the lead in the 20th minute without registering a shot on target. Ianis Hagi fired a dangerous ball across goal, and McCart inadvertently turned it into his own net, putting the visitors 1-0 up.
Before the break, Rangers pushed to extend their lead, with both Cerny and Nico Raskin forcing Craig Gordon into action, but Hearts still looked dangerous going forward.
Second-Half Drama
Hearts found their equalizer just four minutes into the second half when Michael Steinwender marked his first Tynecastle start with a well-taken goal. The Austrian defender rose highest to meet a James Penrice cross, directing his header past Butland to make it 1-1.
With the momentum in Hearts’ favor, Rangers were forced to withstand a period of pressure. The hosts had a penalty appeal waved away before Rangers hit them on the counterattack.
A deflected effort from Hamza Igamane fell kindly for Cerny, and the Czech winger reacted quickly to fire past Gordon, restoring Rangers’ lead in the 60th minute.
Ten minutes later, the game was effectively sealed as McCart suffered another moment of misfortune. Under pressure from Cyriel Dessers, the Hearts defender stretched to clear the danger but ended up putting the ball into his own net for a second time, making it 3-1 to the visitors.
Rangers saw out the remainder of the game comfortably, extending their unbeaten run against Hearts to five years.
