MY ACCOUNT
Celtic host Rangers on Sunday in the final Old Firm clash of the season knowing victory will all but guarantee the Hoops the Scottish Premiership title.
Ange Postecoglou’s side are six points clear with four games remaining and are on the brink of securing their 52nd league crown — regaining the top prize in Scotland from their Glasgow rivals in the process.
The Bhoys will be fired up in front of a packed Celtic Park as they look to virtually get the job done.
They unsurprisingly start as favourites, with Rangers coming into the showdown on the back of a defeat in the first leg their European semi-final this week.
That late 1-0 loss at RB Leipzig may have taken a lot out of the Gers, while their old foes have had a free week to prepare.
Team news
Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst will assess his squad after the Leipzig defeat but key men Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe and Aaron Ramsey are all likely to be missing again on Sunday.
Morelos has not featured since mid-March through a thigh injury, while Roofe and Ramsey have missed the last two after picking up injuries in the Scottish Cup semi-final win over Celtic.
Fashion Sakala is an option up front, while Ryan Kent and Scott Wright were deployed further forward in midweek and could be asked to do a similar job.
Postecoglou has the majority of his squad fit and available.
But full-back Josip Juranovic is still out with a hamstring injury and midfielder Nir Bitton is a doubt with an unspecified problem.
Match stats and facts
Postecoglou has done an impressive job this season to rebuild the Bhoys.
They come into the derby clash having won 14 of their last 15 Scottish Premiership matches, with their last league defeat coming way back in September against Livingston.
Celtic also edged out Rangers in the last league Old Firm meeting, winning 2-1 at Ibrox at the start of the month despite falling a goal behind inside three minutes.
Van Bronckhorst’s men turned the tables, however, when they came back to win the Scottish Cup semi-final by the same scoreline, triumphing in extra-time at Hampden Park.
Celtic won the earlier home meeting in the league 3-0 in February.
But Rangers were responsible for one of just three league defeats the Hoops have suffered all season when they came out on top at Ibrox 1-0 at the end of August.
Rangers’ only league loss in their last 10 games was that recent home Old Firm showdown.
Their last win at Celtic Park was back in October 2020 when two Connor Goldson goals secured them a 2-0 success.
Predictions
Rangers’ focus will have been on their Europa League semi-final but they must now quickly regroup.
Celtic will feel they have already demonstrated that they have the edge over their local rivals and the six-point gap at the top between the two sides backs up that claim.
A repeat of the convincing home win earlier in the campaign is unlikely.
But considering Rangers’ injuries, their busy week and Celtic having seven days to prepare, it would not be a surprise to see Postecoglou’s men come out on top again.
