Celtic are well priced to take something from Rangers on Thursday given that Brendan Rodgers’ side have been comprehensively the best team in Scotland so far this season and remain undefeated in domestic football this term.

Rodgers’ men have won 16 of 18 league matches this season and have conceded only 4 goals. When they previously faced Rangers in league action, they romped to a comfortable 3-0 success at Parkhead.

Won last couple of league fixtures 4-0 against Motherwell and St Johnstone.

Rangers come into this game off the back of adverse results away to St Mirren, where they were defeated 2-1, and Motherwell, where they had to fight back from 2 down to draw 2-2. Pressure is on the hosts and the crowd could easily turn if they perform poorly at the start of the game.

Celtic undefeated in 7 against Rangers and their only defeat in the last 17 (in 90 minutes), was an end-of-season affair in May 2023 when they had already sealed the league. Gulf between the teams has never been so vast.

Goals are likely in this encounter, which comes less than 3 weeks after a League Cup final between these sides at Hampden that finished in a thrilling 3-3 draw, with Celtic winning on penalties.

Across the last 6 fixtures between these clubs, 5 of these games have produced at least 3 goals, so there is a strong trend for this head-to-head to produce entertaining matches.

Rangers position in the league means that they will have to come out and attack Celtic. Even with the Hoops posting a strong defensive record this season, the home side have looked an improved force in attack lately, particularly at home.

The Gers are extremely fragile at the back and could be depleted by injuries in the middle of their defence. They have conceded 2 goals in each of their last 2 league matches and Celtic should fancy their chances of at least matching this tally.

Igamane liable to be one of the first names on the teamsheet after the Moroccan striker spared his team’s blushes against Motherwell by coming off the bench and scoring 2 goals to salvage a draw.

Stands joint third among all Rangers players when it comes to shots on target in the Premiership with 14, yet his tally of 1.98 per 90 minutes is the second-best figure at the club behind Danilo. It is also the second-best figure in the league among players who have featured for 500 minutes or more.

Is on a run of 9 successive matches in which he has had at least 1 shot on target, including high-profile Europa League fixtures against Nice and Tottenham, which arguably provide a better barometer for what to expect against Celtic than regular league games.

Only played 11 minutes of the first clash between these sides in the league this season and was able to get away 1 shot in that time.

Kyogo Furuhashi is the league player when it comes to shots on target in the Premiership, with the Celtic centre-forward managing 28 – 6 more than anyone else in the league.

Stands well clear when it comes to shots on target per 90 with 2.40. Rangers’ Igmane comes next at 1.98 with fellow Ibrox player Cyriel Dessers this on 1.49, underlining just how good Kyogo is at getting efforts away.

Notoriously good when he plays Rangers. In the last 6 league matches, he has scored 6 goals, finding the net in 5 different games.

Had 3 shots when Celtic faced the Gers at Parkhead in September, with his single shot on target a goal.

Comes into this game off the back of scoring 2 against St Johnstone at the weekend – a match in which he had 5 shots, including 3 on target. Should not be lacking in confidence as a result.

Celtic have a stranglehold over this fixture in recent seasons and are excellent value for this to continue at Ibrox on Thursday. Brendan Rodgers’ side have won 5 of the last 7 of these games in 90 minutes and that record extends to 8 of their last 11 since a 2-2 draw at this venue exactly 2 years ago.

League table amply illustrates the difference in quality between these 2 sides. While Celtic have dropped points only twice in 18 matches, Rangers find themselves a massive 14 points behind their rivals, having won only 11 of 18.

Previous league fixture between these teams was a one-sided 3-0 Celtic victory on the first day of September. Rangers were in a period of better form when they drew 3-3 in the League Cup final but have since regressed an alarming amount.

Gers’ centre-back issues promise to be a huge challenge for them against an attack that is averaging 2.89 goals per game. John Souttar and Leon Balogun look likely to miss out, leaving Rangers short in the heart of their rearguard.

Maeda is Celtic’s runaway leader when it comes to committing fouls domestically. The Japan internation has given away 35 in the league so far this season at an average of 2.69 per 90 minutes.

He stands fourth in the Premiership when it comes to giving away fouls.

Maeda has tended to be feast or famine when it comes to committing fouls. He has given away at least 3 in 6 of his last 10 starts (60%). On top of this, he has committed at least one foul in 12 of his last 13 Premiership appearances.

Twice played against Rangers at Ibrox in the league last season and in those games gave away 3 fouls in the September clash and 4 fouls when the sides met in April. He has history of giving away a high free-kick count at this venue.

Kuhn has been Celtic’s most productive player in front of goal this season, chalking up 7 goals and 6 assists for a combined tally of 13 decisive actions in just 15 league appearances for the Hoops.

The German has weighed in with a direct contribution to a goal – either scoring himself or with an assist – on an incredible 1.23 occasions per 90 on average this season. No player in the league gets close to this, with bit-part Celtic midfielder Luke McCowan second on 1.03 and Kyogo third on 0.94.

Has a goal or an assist in 8 of his last 10 appearances, making him the form player in the Celtic squad.

Scored during the League Cup final against Rangers after his sole contribution in the first league meeting between these teams was seeing a yellow card.

Across the last 3 meetings between these clubs, Rangers have seen 14 cards within 90 minutes. This averages out at 4.67 per match, well above their usual Premiership average of 2.28 cards per game.

This is traditionally one of the fiercest derby matches in Europe, and consequently there is typically a huge card count in these games overall, with strain on the referee to keep tempers under control. In the last 6 games, 4 have seen 9 or more cards for the teams combined. Both teams will be putting pressure on the match officials.

Home crowd come into this match baying for blood, with the pressure on the home team to gain a positive result after recent disappointments. If things start to go south for the Gers, frustration among the home players could easily translate into some rash challenges that bring cards.