Derek McInnes has dismissed suggestions that his Rangers team can exert psychological pressure on their title rivals by taking the Scottish Premiership summit ahead of the weekend fixtures. Rangers head to Dens Park to face Dundee on Saturday evening knowing a victory would temporarily lift them above Celtic in the league standings. However, the manager insists his squad is ignoring the wider table and remaining completely focused on their own immediate domestic responsibilities.
Fixture Context and Title Race
Celtic do not play until Sunday when they take on third-place Hearts in a rematch of last season’s dramatic title decider. Meanwhile, Rangers have put together an impressive run of form, winning their past seven matches across all competitions. This momentum contrasts with a difficult patch for Celtic, who have suffered four defeats in their last five outings. Despite the shift in momentum and contrasting fortunes, McInnes refuses to get drawn into title race speculation at this stage of the campaign.
- Rangers enter the weekend looking to extend a seven-match winning streak across all competitions.
- A victory against Dundee at Dens Park would take Rangers to the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
- Celtic and Hearts both endured demanding European fixtures mid-week in the Europa League and Conference League.
- Rangers missed out on European football entirely this season following a Conference League play-off defeat against Jablonec in August.
Domestic Focus and Performance Standards
McInnes acknowledged that watching European action on television brought a touch of envy, but he believes the extra recovery time on the training pitch must translate into domestic success. Rangers returned from the recent international break with a 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock, though the manager demanded a significant improvement after a disappointing second-half performance. Having utilized the full week on the training ground, the squad enters the weekend fixture in much better shape, aiming to deliver a complete ninety-minute performance and secure another vital three points in the league campaign.
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