First meets second in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday as Celtic welcome Old Firm rivals Rangers to Celtic Park in another eagerly anticipated Glasgow derby.
Celtic have made a perfect start to their league campaign, while Rangers arrive in excellent recent form and will be looking to repeat their emphatic League Cup victory over their rivals.
The hosts have won all six of their Scottish Premiership matches, giving Martin O’Neill’s side a five-point advantage over Rangers at the top of the table. However, their recent results have taken some of the shine off that perfect league record.
After recovering from their Champions League disappointment with four consecutive domestic victories, Celtic have now suffered back-to-back defeats. The first came in devastating fashion against Rangers, who recorded a 3-0 victory in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final. The Hoops then suffered a 3-1 defeat to Ferencvaros in their Europa League opener.
Defensive mistakes proved costly in both matches, leaving O’Neill with plenty to address ahead of another meeting with their fiercest rivals. Celtic will now look to turn their excellent league form into a response against Rangers and restore confidence at Celtic Park. Meanwhile, the Gers failed to win any of their opening four matches across all competitions and also suffered disappointment in their European campaign.
Derek McInnes has since overseen a dramatic improvement as Rangers have won seven of their last eight matches, with their only setback coming in a 1-0 defeat and subsequent penalty shootout loss to Jablonec in the Conference League playoff. They have now won their last five matches, including the hugely significant 3-0 victory over Celtic. That result gives McInnes’s side considerable momentum heading into Sunday’s encounter.
Rangers’ recent dominance cannot completely erase Celtic’s impressive home record in this fixture. The Gers have won only two of their last 12 visits to Celtic Park, meaning Sunday’s match presents a considerably different challenge from the recent League Cup meeting. There will also be no visiting supporters, with away fans banned from Old Firm fixtures for the season.
That could make the atmosphere inside Celtic Park particularly intense as Celtic attempt to respond to their recent setbacks. The hosts are likely to attempt to establish territorial control through possession, while Rangers can look to exploit transitions and attack spaces behind Celtic’s defensive line.
The first goal could therefore be particularly important. Celtic’s response to recent adversity will be tested, while Rangers will be seeking to demonstrate that their 3-0 League Cup victory was not an isolated result. 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
Celtic
Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand, and Jota remain unavailable, while Yang Hyun-jun is also out as he represents South Korea at the Asian Games. Martin O’Neill is expected to make several changes following Wednesday’s 3-1 Europa League defeat to Ferencvaros, with Benjamin Nygren and Kasper Hogh likely to come into the attack.
There could also be changes defensively, with Tony Ralston and Auston Trusty expected to feature from the start. Celtic should retain their 4-2-3-1 formation, with Sam Johnstone in goal and Anthony Ralston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Liam Scales forming the back four.
Callum McGregor and Moritz Baur should provide the midfield base, while Haissem Hassan, Benjamin Nygren, and Camilo Duran operate behind Kasper Hogh. After conceding three goals against Rangers in the League Cup and another three against Ferencvaros, defensive concentration will be a major focus.
At the other end, Nygren and Hogh will be expected to provide greater attacking freshness as Celtic look to respond to their recent setbacks. Despite those concerns, Celtic’s six wins from six in the Scottish Premiership demonstrate why Rangers cannot afford to underestimate the hosts at Celtic Park.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Johnstone; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Scales; McGregor, Baur; Hassan, Nygren, Duran; Hogh
Rangers
Rangers will be without captain Lawrence Shankland, who remains sidelined with a hamstring problem. Youssef Chermiti is also unavailable after suffering a cruciate ligament injury. That should allow Kevin Kelsy to retain his place as the central striker after scoring in Rangers’ 3-0 League Cup victory over Celtic last weekend.
Derek McInnes is expected to resist making major changes and could name an unchanged XI from that emphatic derby victory. There is also positive news on the injury front, with Tuur Rommens and Jose Cifuentes potentially returning to the squad. Rangers should continue with their 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ivor Pandur in goal and Dujon Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez, Olwethu Makhanya, and James Penrice forming the defence.
Nicolas Raskin and Dan Neil are expected to anchor midfield, while Ryan Naderi, Kim, and Djeidi Gassama operate behind Kevin Kelsy. Kelsy’s presence will be particularly important. Having already scored against Celtic, the striker will provide Rangers with a confident focal point in attack as they attempt to reproduce last weekend’s result.
Rangers’ biggest advantage heading into the match is their recent momentum. They have won seven of their last eight matches and are now seeking a sixth consecutive victory.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pandur; Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice; Raskin, Neil; Naderi, Kim, Gassama; Kelsy
Key Stats
- Celtic have won all six of their Scottish Premiership matches, giving them a perfect league record and putting them five points clear of Rangers.
- Rangers have won seven of their last eight matches across all competitions, with their only defeat during that run coming against Jablonec.
- Rangers have won their last five matches, including a 3-0 victory over Celtic in last weekend’s Scottish League Cup quarter-final.
- Rangers have won only two of their last 12 visits to Celtic Park, highlighting the difference between their recent overall form and their record at Celtic’s home ground.
- Celtic have suffered back-to-back defeats, losing 3-0 to Rangers in the League Cup before a 3-1 defeat to Ferencvaros in the Europa League.
Player to Watch
Kevin Kelsy
The Rangers forward scored in the 3-0 Scottish League Cup victory over Celtic last weekend and is expected to retain his place as the central striker with Lawrence Shankland and Youssef Chermiti unavailable.
Kelsy’s confidence will be an important factor. Rangers have won their last five matches, and his ability to occupy Celtic’s centre-backs, hold up the ball and attack crosses could provide the visitors with another route to goal. Celtic’s recent defensive lapses against both Rangers and Ferencvaros mean Kelsy could find opportunities if Rangers press effectively and force mistakes.
Prediction
Celtic 2-1 Rangers
Celtic’s perfect league record and home advantage should make this a much closer contest than the recent League Cup meeting. Rangers’ five-match winning streak, however, gives them considerable confidence heading into the derby. With both sides possessing strong recent league records, this could be decided by individual moments rather than sustained dominance.
