Ruben: Hearts will be stronger against Rangers

RUBEN PALAZUELOS has promised Hearts will be an altogether different animal at Ibrox on Wednesday after Saturday's 1-0 victory over St Johnstone banished the disappointment of defeat at Parkhead.

Much was made of last week's capitulation in the 4-0 defeat by Celtic, however Hearts responded with more conviction than the scoreline suggested at the weekend. Rudi Skacel's early goal was sufficient to secure three points amid a dominant home display at Tynecastle.

Palazuelos stressed lessons have been learned as he and his colleagues prepare to confront the other half of the Old Firm in a second successive midweek trip to Glasgow.

"It is a good chance for us to go to a good stadium like Ibrox Park against a top team," said the Spaniard. "I hope for Hearts we can continue to keep our good form going. We had a very bad night at Celtic Park. It happens because in football it is impossible to keep playing well.

"That game is in the past and now the target is to try and take three points at Ibrox. We beat Rangers at Tynecastle but Rangers also had some very good chances. We didn't play so well but we had one chance and scored a goal. It will be a different game at Ibrox but I hope we will play well and then we will have to see what happens."

The defeat of Saints ensured a 15-point gap in the SPL between Hearts in third place and Kilmarnock in fourth. Palazuelos reiterated the priority remains securing third and European football this season despite his club being only two points behind second-placed Rangers.

"We are a good team with very good players. We played well when we had some big players out and that shows we have a very strong squad with very good players. We are in third position and going well in the league.

"We can now concentrate on going to Ibrox and trying to take the three points. For me, the only thing that is important is the next game. We are very well-positioned in third position with Kilmarnock 15 points behind us.

"We want to finish in third place and to qualify for Europe, although it will be good if we can stay close to Rangers. But for me it is important to keeping trying to win games and then we can have a look and see what happens in May."