In this article…
Celtic v Rangers
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Kick Off: Sunday 16th March at 12:30
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Competition: Scottish Premiership
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What TV Channel: Sky Sports Main Event
Celtic and Rangers meet at Parkhead in the latest instalment of the Old Firm rivalry.
The home side come into this game with one hand on the Premiership trophy already, but Brendan Rodgers’ men have a score to settle after losing the previous clash 3-0 at Ibrox.
Rangers, meanwhile, must rouse themselves after an energy-sapping tie with Fenerbahce that required extra time and penalties for them to progress. With away fans welcomed back to this fixture after a long hiatus, they will be doubly keen to secure a second derby win in succession.
⭐ Celtic v Rangers Best Bet
Diomande has been a target for Celtic players during the previous matches between these clubs this season, and little is likely to change for the midfielder in this encounter.
He won five fouls at Parkhead back in September and then picked up four at Ibrox in the Boxing Day clash between the teams.
A combination of his willingness to be brave in possession as well as combative out of it means he is a prime candidate to be involved in the thick of the action and pick up free kicks again.
Diomande has won a club-high 39 fouls this season at a rate of 1.76 per 90 in the Premiership.
🟢 Celtic v Rangers ABC Exclusive Boost
Celtic have already recorded a 3-0 home victory over Rangers this season and another big win for the Hoops is certainly not beyond them.
Barry Ferguson seems to have muddled his way through to this point, with the Gers riding their luck a little in midweek against Fenerbahce to move through in Europe. It was a draining physical and mental experience and will do them few favours prior to this encounter.
Brendan Rodgers’ team do tend to win their home games handily. They won eight of their last nine home league games by three or more goals, and after being embarrassed last time out against their arch-rivals, will want to exact revenge.
Ferguson will have his team fired up, though, and that could translate to a high card count. In the midweek game, they picked up seven cards, while they have seen at least four cards in 50% of their games under the interim boss.
On top of this, they have had five or more cards in two of their three meetings with Celtic already this season.
👕 Celtic v Rangers Predicted XI
🔍 Celtic v Rangers Players to Watch
🟢 Daizen Maeda
Celtic forward Maeda is a huge price to muster at least a couple of shots given he has been doing so for fun in recent weeks. The Japanese has had at least two shots in each of his last 10 starts in the Premiership and Europe as well as 12 of his last 13.
He had four efforts against Rangers when they visited Parkhead early this season and is a player ready to grab the derby spotlight following the departure of Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes in January.
Confidence is no problem: he has scored in his last six league games.
🟢 Callum McGregor
The Celtic captain is not someone who typically finds himself in foul trouble as he has committed 0.72 per 90 in the Premiership this season. In part, this is because Celtic are so dominant with the ball.
When faced with sterner tests, this figure rises. In the Champions League, he posted 0.9 fouls per 90, while in both previous Premiership Old Firm matches in league play this season, he has committed one foul.
Potential head-to-head opponents include Ianis Hagi, who wins 1.55 fouls per 90, and Mohamed Diomande, who posts 1.76 fouls per 90.
⚪ Vaclav Cerny
No current Scottish Premiership player has more shots on target this season than Vaclav Cerny’s 30, which equates to 1.35 per 90.
The Czech has had at least one shot on target in 29 of his last 31 matches for club and country (excluding domestic cups, which figures are not available for).
Included in this run is Rangers’ previous match with Celtic, in which he had four shots and one on target. He is an excellent price.
📂 Celtic v Rangers Cheat Sheet
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💻 Celtic v Rangers Form and Tactics
With a 16-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership, Celtic are well on course to claim yet another title, with Brendan Rodgers’ side seeking to close out the treble this season once more.
There is little doubt of their dominance domestically. They have scored 87 goals and conceded only 17, while at home they have barely been touched. The Hoops have won 13 of their 14 home matches, doing so by at least two goals on every occasion. Remarkably, they have conceded only three.
Celtic’s 3-0 win over Rangers in September seemed to underline their dominance in this fixture, but they only edged the League Cup final on penalties and were beaten 3-0 at Ibrox, so there will be a sense of determination to rack up a convincing win here.
Daizen Maeda is their man in form. He has goals in each of his last six league starts and a shot on target in 12 of his last 13 starts.
Look for the Hoops to dominate the ball. They post 68.3% possession in the league this season, and in each of their last two games against the Gers they have had upwards of 60% in this category.
The weight of dominance is key to Celtic winning a high corner count (10.21 per home game in the league) and a high penalty count (eight), while their total of 63 open play goals dramatically eclipses anyone else in the league, with Rangers next best by posting just 36.
Rangers come into this match after achieving gruelling progress via extra time and penalties against Fenerbahce in the Europa League. It was a tie that confirmed the Gers as a difficult side to read.
Barry Ferguson is in interim charge following the sacking of Philippe Clement and has switched to a three-man defence in the past couple of games. Although progress was secured in Europe, the Gers’ form is still unconvincing: they lost their previous Premiership game at home to Motherwell 2-1.
Although they have typically been poor on the road this season, they have won their last five on their travels. Indeed, playing away probably suits them because they are good on the counter-attack, with a league-leading nine goals scored in this fashion this season.
Barry Ferguson’s 3-4-2-1 formation sees Vaclav Cerny still positioned as the key attacking figure, with the Czech posting 78 shots this season plus 30 on target. Hamza Igamane has better numbers per 90, but after an exciting spell around Christmas he has fallen out of favour and has failed to net in 11.
🏁 Celtic v Rangers Ref Watch
- Referee – Steven McLean
| Average Cards (Y / R) | 3.38 / 0.00 |
| Fouls Given | 21.85 |
| Penalties | 0.38 |
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* We recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
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