The first Old Firm showdown of the season is set to take place this weekend, with bitter rivals Rangers and Celtic going head-to-head at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon.
Both teams are eager to secure a victory and claim the bragging rights in Glasgow.
Rangers suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League playoffs on Wednesday, which was a disappointing result for Michael Beale’s side.
In their previous league encounters, Rangers bounced back strongly with a 4-0 win over Livingston and a 2-0 victory against Ross County.
They will be determined to continue their winning streak and compensate for their midweek disappointment.
On the other hand, Celtic also experienced a setback in their last match, being held to a goalless draw by St Johnstone.
Despite starting the season with a 4-2 triumph over Ross County and a 3-1 win against Aberdeen, they have since struggled to maintain consistency.
Their recent League Cup elimination and the draw against St Johnstone will serve as motivation for Brendan Rodgers team to put in a strong performance against their rivals.
Both teams have dropped points this season, highlighting the competitive nature of the Scottish Premiership. The last time these two teams met, it ended in a draw, and we can expect another closely contested match this time around.
In terms of team news, Rangers will be without long-term injury absentee Steven Davis, while Kieran Dowell and Ridvan Yilmaz are also sidelined.
They are likely to employ a 4-3-1-2 formation, with Todd Cantwell providing attacking support to Rabbi Matondo and Cyriel Dessers up front.
Celtic, on the other hand, have a few defensive concerns with Cameron Carter-Vickers, James McCarthy, and Maik Nawrocki out due to muscle issues.
With other players such as Reo Hatate, Yuki Kobayashi, Oh Hyeon-gyu, Marco Tilio, and Stephen Welsh also unavailable, Brendan Rodgers will have to carefully select his starting XI for this crucial encounter.
Considering the history between these two fierce rivals, a draw seems to be a likely outcome.
Our prediction for the match is a thrilling 2-2 draw, with both teams putting on an entertaining display of attacking football.
Top Tip:
Our expert tipsters predict that there will be over 2.5 goals in this match, so prepare for an offensive spectacle between Rangers and Celtic.
