Rangers and Celtic renew their Old Firm rivalry at Ibrox on Sunday, with a place in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals at stake.
Both sides enter the quarter-final in excellent domestic form, with four consecutive victories apiece, although Celtic’s recent European disappointment provides an intriguing backdrop.
Rangers appear to have finally found some consistency under Derek McInnes and the Gers endured a difficult opening to the campaign, failing to win any of their first four matches before eventually putting together a run of positive results. They have now won four consecutive matches, although each victory has come by just a one-goal margin.
Their League Cup campaign began with an emphatic 5-1 victory over St. Mirren, and they will now hope to carry that attacking confidence into the biggest domestic fixture of the season so far. The biggest incentive for Rangers is their recent record against Celtic. The Gers have gone three matches without beating their city rivals, so Sunday’s quarter-final represents an opportunity to reverse that trend while securing a place in the last four.
Celtic have also won their last four matches and have lost just once in nine games across all competitions this season but that sole defeat came in devastating fashion. The Bhoys appeared to have Champions League qualification secured after establishing a 4-0 aggregate lead over LASK Linz, only to collapse and concede five unanswered goals across the tie.
Despite that disappointment, Martin O’Neill’s team have responded impressively. They followed the European setback with four straight victories, including a 4-0 League Cup win over Dundee United in the previous round. Celtic’s overall record makes them difficult to overlook, but their recent struggles at Ibrox provide Rangers with plenty of encouragement.
However, Celtic have failed to win their last six visits to Ibrox. That is a significant statistic heading into Sunday’s match, particularly because Rangers will have home advantage and the atmosphere of an Old Firm knockout fixture behind them.
Celtic did technically progress from their most recent meeting at Ibrox, but that came via a penalty shootout in last season’s Scottish FA Cup quarter-final after the match itself ended level. The match also resulted in disorder between supporters, leading the SPFL to prohibit visiting fans from attending this fixture and other meetings between the clubs this season.
Both teams are arriving with confidence, but knockout football often produces a more cautious approach, particularly in the opening stages. Rangers may look to use the home advantage to press Celtic aggressively and establish territorial control early. The Hoops, meanwhile, possess enough attacking quality to punish Rangers if the hosts commit too many players forward.
The visitors’ ability to respond after their Champions League collapse has been impressive, but Rangers’ current four-match winning run suggests they are becoming increasingly difficult to break down. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Team News & Tactics
Rangers
Rangers will be without Tuur Rommens, Youssef Chermiti, Jose Cifuentes, and Lawrence Shankland, who all remain sidelined with ongoing injury problems. Bojan Miovski is in contention to start after scoring the late winner against St. Mirren in Rangers’ most recent outing. He could partner Ryan Naderi in the attacking setup, while Badredine Bouanani and Djeidi Gassama are expected to retain their positions on the wings.
Rangers are likely to continue with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ivor Pandur in goal and Dujon Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez, Olwethu Makhanya, and James Penrice forming the defensive line. Nicolas Raskin and Dan Neil should anchor the midfield, with the pair expected to provide defensive protection while allowing Rangers’ attacking players freedom to push forward.
Further ahead, Bouanani and Gassama should provide width around Naderi, while Miovski is expected to operate as the main goalscoring threat. Miovski’s recent late winner should give him confidence heading into such a high-pressure fixture. Rangers will also need their wide players to exploit Celtic’s defensive areas and provide quality service into the penalty box.
With Rangers having won their last four matches, McInnes is unlikely to make unnecessary tactical changes. The main objective will be to maintain the defensive discipline that has helped them put together their recent winning streak while finding a way to turn narrow victories into a decisive result.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pandur; Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice; Raskin, Neil; Bouanani, Naderi, Gassama; Miovski
Celtic
Celtic will head into Sunday’s Old Firm quarter-final without Callum Osmand, Alistair Johnston, and Jota, who remain unavailable because of injuries. There is some positive news in attack, however, with Kasper Hogh returning to the starting lineup in midweek after missing three matches through injury. The summer signing is expected to retain his place as Celtic’s central striker.
Celtic are likely to continue with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Sam Johnstone in goal and Colby Donovan, Dane Murray, Auston Trusty, and Liam Scales forming the back four. Callum McGregor and Mika Baur should operate as the midfield pairing, providing Celtic with a balance of experience and defensive protection.
Further forward, Haissem Hassan, Benjamin Nygren, and Camilo Duran are expected to support Hogh. Their movement between the lines will be particularly important against a Rangers side that has won four consecutive matches. Celtic will also be keen to improve their record at Ibrox. They have failed to win on their last six visits to Rangers’ home ground, so maintaining possession and avoiding early defensive errors will be crucial.
Hogh’s return gives Celtic a natural focal point in attack, while the supporting trio will look to create space around him. If Celtic can stretch Rangers’ back four and exploit gaps between the full-backs and centre-backs, they should be able to create opportunities. However, the visitors must also remain disciplined defensively. Rangers have won their last four matches and will be encouraged by the form of Bojan Miovski, who scored the late winner against St Mirren.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Johnstone; Donovan, Murray, Trusty, Scales; McGregor, Baur; Hassan, Nygren, Duran; Hogh
Key Stats
- Rangers have won their last four matches.
- Celtic have won their last four matches as well, and have lost just once in nine games across all competitions this season.
- Celtic have failed to win their last six visits to Ibrox.
- Rangers have won their last four matches by just one-goal margins.
- Celtic overturned a 4-0 aggregate lead against LASK Linz to lose 5-4, suffering their only defeat of the season in that Champions League qualifying collapse. Since then, they have responded with four consecutive victories.
Player to Watch
Bojan Miovski
Miovski heads into the derby with confidence after scoring the late winner against St. Mirren in Rangers’ previous match, helping the Gers extend their winning run to four games. The striker’s movement and ability to attack spaces inside the penalty area could be particularly important against Celtic’s defence.
With Rangers expected to use Ryan Naderi behind him and Badredine Bouanani and Djeidi Gassama providing width, Miovski should receive plenty of opportunities to test the Celtic back line. This is also a particularly important fixture for Rangers given their three-game winless run against Celtic. A decisive contribution from Miovski could help the Gers finally end that sequence while securing a place in the League Cup semi-finals.
Prediction
Rangers 2-1 Celtic
This should be an extremely competitive Old Firm encounter. Celtic have the stronger overall record this season and have already demonstrated impressive attacking quality, but Rangers’ recent improvement and excellent record at Ibrox against Celtic make the hosts difficult to overlook. With both sides in winning form, the match could be decided by a moment of individual quality rather than sustained dominance.
