Rangers vs Annan Athletic Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Rangers vs Annan Athletic Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Match Details: January 16, 2026 | Ibrox Stadium | Scottish Cup | 19:45 GMT

Annan Athletic make the journey to Ibrox to face Rangers in the Scottish Cup, in a match that, with all due respect to Annan, is certain to end in qualification for the fifth round for Rangers. They've won five on the bounce in the Premiership, which has turned them into unlikely title contenders when you consider how poor they were before Danny Röhl came in, whereas Annan are in the bottom half of League Two.

Key Betting Tips: Rangers to Win @ 1.02 odds on Coral, or 1.01 odds on BoyleSports.

Rangers vs Annan Athletic Predicted Lineups

Rangers Predicted XI (4-3-3): Liam Kelly; Jayden Meghoma, Clinton Nsiala, Emmanuel Fernandez, Max Aarons; Lyall Cameron, Thelo Aasgaard, Nicolas Raskin; Findlay Curtis, Danilo, Oliver Antman

Several players are expected to return to fitness in the next few weeks, but won't be ready for this game, those being Bailey Rice, Derek Cornelius, Dujon Sterling and Nedim Bajrami. Unfortunately, Connor Barron's knee injury is set to keep him out until April.

Annan Athletic Predicted XI (4-3-3): Gio Clarke; Max Kilsby, Keith Watson, Scott Hooper, Ryan Muir; Josh Todd, Wullie Gibson, Josh Dixon; Aidan Smith, Myles Gaffney, Charlie Maxwell

Rangers vs Annan Athletic Current League Standings

Rangers look as though they've overcome their dismal patch that led to the hiring of Röhl, now finding excellent form that has turned them back into potential title contenders. They are, at this point, just as much in the fight as Celtic, but Hearts are proving very difficult to catch, so it is just as much up to Rangers to pick up points as it is Hearts to drop them if they want to have any hopes of lifting the title. We are potentially in for an incredibly exciting race in a couple of months time.

Annan Athletic have had a pretty inconsistent season, unable to regularly pick up results which sees them in seventh in League Two out of 10 clubs. Relegation doesn't look like much of a threat for them, as Edinburgh City are pretty far adrift at the bottom, and the competitive nature of the league means that, despite their position, they are very close to the promotion play-off places. They're only four points behind Stranraer in fourth, so a few decent results in the league could see their prospects take a dramatic turn for the better.

Rangers vs Annan Athletic Head-to-Head Timeline

Most of the encounters between these two sides came when Rangers were forced into the fourth tier following their liquidation, which saw them beat Annan twice that season, though they responded with a victory of their own in March, one of the few losses Rangers suffered that season. They've met twice since then, once in the League Cup and once in the Scottish Cup, with Rangers winning both games comfortably.

The overall historical scoring between the two is four wins in Rangers' favour, one draw and one win for Annan Athletic.

Recent Head-to-Head Results:

• February 12, 2022: Annan Athletic 0-3 Rangers (Scottish Cup)
• July 19, 2016: Rangers 2-0 Annan Athletic (League Cup Group Stage)
• March 9, 2013: Rangers 1-2 Annan Athletic (League Two)
• January 2, 2013: Annan Athletic 1-3 Rangers (League Two)
• December 18, 2012: Rangers 3-0 Annan Athletic (League Two)

Rangers and Annan Athletic Recent Matches Analysis

Rangers Last 5 Matches:

• Rangers 2-0 Aberdeen (A) - Premiership
• Rangers 2-0 Aberdeen (H) - Premiership
• Rangers 3-1 Celtic (A) - Premiership
• Rangers 2-1 St Mirren (H) - Premiership
• Rangers 1-0 Motherwell (H) - Premiership

Röhl has worked his magic at Rangers since coming in, and that has shown in their recent results with five wins in all of their last five. This form has propelled them back into the title race, and their results have been largely comfortable too. Conceding just twice in their last five is a stellar defensive record to hold, complimented of course by three clean sheets, as well as the fact that they've scored at the other end 10 times in the same period. The 3-1 away win at Celtic Park brought an end to Wilfried Nancy's reign, which certainly gave Rangers fans some bragging rights.

Annan Athletic Last 5 Matches:

• Annan Athletic 2-2 Stranraer (League Two)
• Annan Athletic 3-1 East Kilbride (League Two)
• Annan Athletic 3-1 Forfar Athletic (League Two)
• Annan Athletic 0-2 Stenhousemuir (Challenge Cup)
• Annan Athletic 1-1 Spartans FC (League Two)

All things considered, Annan have been in decent form as of late, having gone unbeaten in their last three in all competitions and in their last four in League Two. They've looked pretty good in front of goal, scoring nine times in their last five, but their inability to keep a clean sheet has meant their defensive record isn't quite as promising, with seven goals conceded in the same period.

Rangers vs Annan Athletic Predictions

Our advanced algorithm analyses over 200 data points to generate these predictions with a 80.00% confidence in Rangers to Win. The model factors in current form, head-to-head records, player availability, and tactical matchups.

Best Rangers vs Annan Athletic Betting Tips

Football Park’s Best Bet: Rangers to Win @ 1.02 on Coral - This result is only going one way I'm afraid, which explains why the odds are so low.

Key Players to Watch: Rangers vs Annan Athletic

Nicolas Raskin (Rangers): It's difficult to judge how strong a side Rangers will line up with for this game, whether they will want to rest players for the league or set a precedent with a strong squad. I would expect Raskin to play though, given his immense importance in the middle of the park as a very strong all-rounder for Röhl's side. The Belgian is comfortable on the ball and offers a threat going forward owing to his creative ability, but he also helps out the defence well and breaks up attacks in the midfield area. Raskin is a player of massive importance for Rangers.

Aidan Smith (Annan Athletic): The versatile midfielder has been especially impressive on the left flank for Annan this season, from where he has found the net six times in the league this season and added an extra two assists to his tally as well. Smith has been a central player to the club for years now, and will look to lead his side from the wing.

Rangers vs Annan Athletic Match Facts

Broadcast Details: Premier Sports 1 HD

Referee: N/A

Stadium Information: With a capacity of 51,700, Ibrox is the third largest stadium in Scotland and one of the most recongisable stadia in Europe.

Rangers vs Annan Athletic: Final Prediction

Rangers 2-0 Annan Athletic