Rangers unleashed a second-half blitz to overturn a two-goal deficit and crush Falkirk 6-3 in a chaotic Scottish Premiership clash, propelling themselves back into second place and just one point behind leaders Hearts. The victory keeps the title race on a razor’s edge after Hearts and Celtic both secured hard-fought wins elsewhere.
Falkirk stunned the visitors early, taking the lead after just six minutes. Calvin Miller whipped a low cross into the box, and Ben Broggio slipped past Rangers’ disorganized marking to slot home. The hosts doubled their advantage in the 26th minute when Finn Yeats rifled a powerful strike from the edge of the area past goalkeeper Jack Butland.
Rangers’ first-half performance was shambolic, but they grabbed a lifeline in bizarre fashion just before halftime. In the 42nd minute, Tochi Chukwuani prodded in from five yards after Falkirk players stopped, mistakenly believing a cross had gone out of play. The ball was headed onto a post and rebounded to Chukwuani, with the video assistant referee checking the incident but allowing the goal after replays proved inconclusive.
The momentum shifted dramatically after the break. Youssef Chermiti hauled Rangers level in the 47th minute with a simple finish from Djeidi Gassama’s cross. Just five minutes later, Nicolas Raskin smashed a fine finish into the far corner, celebrating by jumping into the stands and banging his head on a jubilant supporter—though he stayed on to play a key role.
Rangers’ blistering spell continued, producing a fourth goal in the 58th minute. Bojan Miovski bundled Raskin’s pinpoint cross into the net from close range. Calvin Miller pulled one back for Falkirk from the penalty spot in the 70th minute after James Tavernier fouled Filip Lissah, but Rangers quickly extinguished any comeback hopes.
Chermiti eased Rangers’ anxiety four minutes later with a thunderous blast from the edge of the area, and Miovski tapped in the sixth in the 88th minute to seal a frenetic 6-3 win. The result moves Rangers to 72 points, one behind Hearts, who remain top after a late surge against Motherwell.
At Tynecastle, Hearts needed two late goals to overcome Motherwell 3-1. After a goalless first half, Emmanuel Longelo fired Motherwell in front, only for Cláudio Braga to equalize with an overhead kick. It looked like the points would be shared until Stephen Welsh was judged to have fouled Landry Kaboré, and Lawrence Shankland converted the penalty. Kaboré then added a third in added time to secure the win.
Hearts manager Derek McInnes praised his players for “dragging themselves off the canvas” with the late goals. “There’s no two ways about it – we were under the cosh,” McInnes said. “But I still felt quite calm in the sense I thought we would score. We very rarely don’t score, particularly here at Tynecastle. Thankfully Braga comes up with a big moment. The reaction of the players is magnificent.”
Celtic temporarily jumped into second place with a 1-0 win over St Mirren, thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s 15th-minute strike. Oxlade-Chamberlain had an earlier goal chalked off for offside, but he rifled into the bottom right corner after Kieran Tierney picked him out following a blocked shot. St Mirren offered more possession in the second half without posing a significant threat.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill acknowledged his team’s struggles, saying, “The energy levels looked low, which if it had been the last 10 minutes of the game, and you’re holding on to something, I can understand, but it set in pretty early in the second half. It seemed to befall a number of us at the same time, which is a bit of a worry. We’ve stayed in the hunt and in fairness to the players they did dig it out in the end.”
Elsewhere, Stephen Robinson broke his winless run since moving from St Mirren to Aberdeen, as his side won 2-0 against Hibernian with goals in each half from Kevin Nisbet. Zac Sapsford’s late penalty secured Dundee United a 3-2 win over Livingston in a thriller at Tannadice, after Will Ferry and Krisztian Keresztes scored for the hosts and Lewis Smith hit a quickfire double for Livingston.
In a dramatic survival battle, Kilmarnock goalkeeper Kelle Roos saved a stoppage-time penalty from Dundee striker Joe Westley after a six-minute VAR check, earning his side a precious point in a 2-2 draw at Rugby Park.
The Scottish Premiership title race remains tightly poised, with Rangers’ explosive comeback signaling their intent to challenge Hearts and Celtic down the stretch. With just a point separating the top three, every match promises high stakes and tactical fireworks.
