When Rangers last crossed Glasgow to take on Celtic at Parkhead, tempers spilt over in typical Old Firm Derby style and a mammoth 11 players were carded on an afternoon where those involved committed a staggering 32 fouls combined. Unsurprisingly, with bad blood running deep, this fixture has a long history of producing card-laden bouts and referee William Collum could struggle to keep a lid on tempers again on Saturday.

The last 13 fiery iterations of the Old Firm Derby since the start of 2022 averaged 5.46 cards per game and with so much riding on Saturday’s result at Celtic Park, more ferocious tackles and fouls are anticipated. The last three meetings between the clubs at the venue have produced 23 cards, so expect more of the same here.

Japanese forward Kyogo Furuhashi has been an Old Firm Derby talisman for Celtic and the 29-year-old has scored seven career goals against Rangers, two of which were bagged against the Gers this season. Indeed, Furuhashi has sparkled in all three of his previous appearances against Rangers this term and the hardworking attacker could make another derby impact on Saturday.

Furuhashi clocked five attempts on target over three run-outs against the Gers earlier in the campaign and while his 1.30 shots on target per 90 average for the Scottish Premiership season overall is on the modest side, the former Vissel Kobe star has already shown that he can raise his game on derby day. Look for Furuhashi to lodge over 1.5 shots on target again.

Dynamic Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley is better known for his superb output in the final third than his indiscipline, and the 23-year-old has only collected three yellow cards in the Premiership this term for the champions-elect. However, O’Riley has been throwing his weight around with more aggression against Rangers this season and two of his three cards were collected in meetings with the Gers.

O’Riley was booked for one of his two fouls on 42 minutes when Celtic last faced Rangers on April 7th and the London-born Denmark international was also shown a yellow card when the Hoops last played their rivals at Celtic Park in December. O’Riley avoided a card but committed two more fouls in the first tussle of the season between the teams in September, however, his track record suggests he is a strong card candidate ahead of Saturday’s showdown.

Celtic skipper and Old Firm Derby veteran Callum McGregor will be expected to lead by example on Sunday and the charge into battle, the tough-tackling midfielder will be eager to make his presence felt. The 30-year-old committed two fouls in his last Premiership appearance against Hearts last weekend, though his foul tally is expected to climb when he lines up against the Gers.

McGregor was an unused substitute when Celtic drew 3-3 with Rangers at Ibrox Stadium last month, though he featured from the start when the rivals last met at Celtic Park and the playmaker committed a sizeable six fouls in that encounter, which accounted for a third of his team’s overall foul haul in the fixture. On that evidence, McGregor looks like a safe inclusion to commit over 2+ fouls again on Saturday.

Like his team-mate and captain Callum McGregor, Celtic right back Alistair Johnston is likely to fly into tackles in Saturday’s pivotal derby and the 25-year-old offers similar value in the 2+ fouls market. Johnston was collared for a foul three times in Celtic’s last skirmish with Rangers in April and the defender was just as combative when the sides clashed before that in late December.

The Canadian international committed another three fouls in that Old Firm rendezvous and was carded for his efforts. Johnston has been fouling at a rate of 1.30 per 90 in the Premiership overall this season, which makes him one of Celtic’s most potent performers for that metric. Expect the ex-CF Montréal full back to be on the referee’s radar again this weekend.

Five of the 29-year-old’s 13 Premiership goals this season have given Celtic the lead and Furuhashi also has a knack for drawing first blood on derby day in recent seasons.

In September, Furuhashi opened the scoring in Celtic’s triumph at Rangers and almost a year ago, the forward scored first in the Bhoys’ 3-2 victory over their rivals (April 23rd). A couple of months before that, in last season’s League Cup Final, Furuhashi also notched the contest’s opener and his record of chipping in with clutch derby moments makes him a backable prospect in the first goalscorer market again on Saturday.