Following another round of European frustration on Thursday, Scottish Premiership football returns this weekend with four matches scheduled for Saturday and two more on Sunday. Title hopefuls Rangers are eager to recover after a 2-2 draw at Dens Park halted their seven-match winning streak, allowing reigning champions Celtic to stretch their lead at the summit to four points. Derek McInnes' second-placed outfit, who have spent a league-high 50.8 percent of their playing time level with opponents, now welcome fifth-placed St Johnstone to Ibrox while managing an outbreak of illness within the squad.
Visiting St Johnstone arrive in Glasgow looking to end a grim run of seven straight losses at Ibrox, having trailed 3-0 by the break during their last visit 21 months ago before netting a second-half consolation. Saints boss Simo Valakari has faced Rangers three times in his current post and remains in search of his first point against them. Securing a breakthrough result on Saturday would not only sustain Perth's encouraging start to the campaign but also cause further disruption in the title chase.
Elsewhere across the top flight, a resurgence from in-form strikers has drastically altered the fortunes of several clubs. Falkirk lifted themselves to ninth after a 2-1 win at Hibernian, aided by 22-year-old DC United arrival Jacob Murrell, who has delivered four goals across his last five appearances. Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson also eased recent pressure through a 3-1 victory over St Mirren to climb into seventh, with Kevin Nisbet finding the net in four of his past five games. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Dundee have been boosted by Wycombe Wanderers loanee Bradley Fink scoring three goals in four games, and Dundee United rely on Lyall Cameron's two goals in three outings as they take a four-game unbeaten home run into their clash with Aberdeen.
Attention will also turn to Sunday's fixtures as continental competitors attempt to brush aside midweek European setbacks. League leaders Celtic, who have led for 64.8 percent of their domestic campaign despite three consecutive Europa League losses, travel to face an out-of-form Hibernian side that has spent a league-worst 49.7 percent of their season trailing. At Fir Park, Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson aims to halt a five-game losing slide against third-placed Hearts, with Wouter Vrancken's visitors looking to shake off a 7-1 battering by Celtic and a 2-0 defeat to Trabzonspor while defending a seven-match unbeaten record against the Steelmen.