While the first match of the season between the sides was scoreless, that came under different management from both clubs. This fixture has produced eight goals in the last two Premiership meetings between the clubs – four on each occasion – and this is unlikely to be a tight affair.

Across Celtic’s last six Premiership games, eight of them have produced three or more goals.

With Rangers, the figures are even more convincing, with seven of their last eight in the league generating at least three goals. Indeed, Danny Rohl’s men have been nothing if not thrilling for the neutral, with these outings yielding a stunning 43 goals at a rate of nearly 5.4 per game. This bet would have been a winner in each of the Gers’ last five league matches.

Chermiti has enjoyed his league matches against Celtic so far this season. In those games, he has scored twice on each occasion, making the Hoops his favourite opponents. He has scored four goals from four shots on target and five total shots. Meanwhile, he comes into this match with something of a point to prove, having been muted by Hearts on Monday.

Prior to his outing at Tynecastle, the former Everton striker had been in strong form, with three shots on target each against Dundee United, Falkirk and Motherwell. In that run, he scored three goals.

Chermiti leads the Scottish Premiership with 1.64 shots on target per 90 minutes, while he is Rangers’ leading player in terms of shots on target overall with 31 in the league.

If he happens to be taken off, Bojan Miovski is his likely replacement, with the number nine posting 1.28 shots on target per 90 – making his Rangers’ 2nd-best player in this regard.

The Old Firm match is typically a fiery affair, which has been underlined by the fact that there have been 26 cards shown in the five previous matches between the clubs this season. Rangers, meanwhile, need to show a reaction to their Monday defeat, and that will mean a committed and physical showing in this encounter.

Even in normal circumstances, Rangers have been prone to picking up cards against Celtic this season. They have seen at least three in four of the five previous head-to-head meetings this term, with the exception being the 2-2 draw at the beginning of March, in which they still managed to pick up a couple of bookings.

Referee Nick Walsh was in charge of the League Cup semi-final Old Firm encounter earlier this season, when 10 cards were shown over 120 minutes – including three to Rangers inside 90.

Maeda will be set free at the front of the Celtic attack, tasked with causing a nuisance of himself to the Rangers centre backs. This will involve getting physical with the pair and taking chances when it comes to closing them down and harrying them.

The Japanese is Celtic’s most prolific foul maker in the league this season with 50, although that has resulted in only three cards. He has committed 2+ fouls in two of the three league matches against Rangers previously this season, and with this encounter set to be a particularly high-octane meeting, that figure is set to increase in this game.

While Rangers centre backs Nasser Djiga and Emmanuel Fernandez pick up 0.67 and 1.08 fouls per 90, respectively, Maeda could also be drawn to challenge Nicolas Raskin in midfield, who earns 1.65 fouls per 90.

Expect an attacking performance from Celtic with a high shot count. In their last 11 Premiership matches, they have accumulated 15 or more shots on seven occasions, coming up one short against Falkirk in their last home match. Meanwhile, they average 15.74 shots per match in the Premiership this season.

Although they only managed five shots against Rangers in the first meeting between the teams at Ibrox, that was an extremely cagey affair, the type of which has not been seen in either subsequent league game. Celtic, for example, had 16 shots in the 2-2 draw at Ibrox and had 21 in the previous meetings between the clubs at Parkhead in January.

While Rangers’ typically face only 9.91 shots in the average league game, this is a very different encounter from what the Gers are used to, and the previous matches against the Hoops appears a better guideline on what to expect.

Celtic have come up short by their standards offensively this season, but they have the opportunity to really complicate Rangers’ lives in this game. Across their last 11 Premiership games, they have generated over 2.5 xG on six occasions. They had had no shortage of chances to score three in an individual game in this period, despite only doing so three times.

The Parkhead club could really get some joy against their neighbour’s leaky defence, though. Rangers have given up 2+ goals in seven of their last nine league matches. Indeed, they have conceded three in recent outings against Falkirk and Motherwell and have rarely looked assured as a defensive unit.

If things finally click for Celtic in front of goal on Sunday, they are capable of creating the type of chances that could run up a big score.

Celtic’s captain is not known as a player who regularly finds himself in trouble with referees, yet Rangers tend to bring out the competitor in the 32-year-old, who has been shown two cards against Rangers in league play in three of the last five seasons. Included in this run are two yellow cards plus a red card in the post-split fixtures.

This tendency to be cautioned against Rangers in the most decisive games is echoed by the fact that he has been booked in the last three Scottish Cup matches between the clubs, and also in the League Cup semi-final earlier this season. With Celtic’s whole league season riding on this game, it would be little surprise to see him get caught up in the emotion and find his way into the referee’s notebook once more.

He is currently on a run of three successive games in which he has been shown a card against the Gers, while he will go up against Rangers’ most competitive player, Nicolas Raskin, who has committed 65 fouls and won 51. Similarly, Tochi Chukwuani is incredibly physical in this area of the park.