Rangers Handed Shock Opener As SPFL ‘Go Easy’ On Ibrox Giants | OneFootball

Rangers have been handed what many will see as a rather favourable opening to the 2025–26 Premiership campaign. While no match in Scottish football is ever truly easy, there is a general sense that the early fixtures offer Russell Martin’s side a genuine platform to build confidence and momentum. The initial opponents, with a few exceptions, are not among the division’s top tier on paper, giving the Ibrox men an opportunity to lay down an early marker as they pursue league dominance this season.

The Light Blues kick things off with a trip to Motherwell on August 2, before returning to Ibrox to face Dundee a week later. A visit to St Mirren follows before the first real test appears in the shape of Celtic at Ibrox on the final weekend of the month. After that, it is Hearts at home then a short away journey to Livingston. It is a stretch of matches where Rangers will be expected to pick up maximum points from most of them.

October provides a slightly more testing run with Falkirk away, then Dundee United and Kilmarnock both at home before a tricky away tie to Hibernian. The fixtures across November and December remain manageable, with home games against Aberdeen, Livingston and Motherwell all winnable, alongside away trips to the likes of Kilmarnock and Hearts that, while potentially tricky, are still navigable with the right mentality.

The festive run-in, including a final match of 2025 at home to St Mirren, should allow Rangers to enter 2026 in good shape. January opens with an away trip to Celtic and includes clashes with Aberdeen, Dundee and Hibernian. February might prove decisive with three away matches including Motherwell, Livingston and the third Old Firm of the season at home.

The split fixtures start in late April, and as ever they will be crucial. But if Rangers have done the business early and taken advantage of this start, they could be in pole position to secure the title before the pressure cooker of post-split football truly takes hold.

This is a strong opportunity for the club to get their season off to a flyer, with a manageable start that could provide crucial breathing room for tougher tests later on. If Martin’s men can stay fit and sharp, this could be a very fruitful campaign for Rangers.