THE battle lines have been drawn, the talking is almost at an end.
Rangers and Celtic will go head to head tomorrow afternoon in the first Old Firm game of this Premiership campaign, and already it is a match of huge significance. Especially for the hosts who desperately want to be the team to halt their rival’s mesmeric unbeaten record stretching back to Ronny Deila’s time in charge.
Are they able to do it? Our top team give their verdict.
RANGERS 1 CELTIC 3, says Matthew Lindsay
Rangers have brought in some decent players in the summer and should give a better account of themselves in the first Old Firm game of the season than the last one they were involved in. Not, of course, that that would be hard.
However, Celtic still have too much quality in every area of the park than their city rivals do and it is very hard to see past another comfortable victory for the Parkhead club at Ibrox.
Pedro Caixinha will be missing his captain and first choice left back Lee Wallace. Last season, that proved disastrous. Patrick Roberts ran Myles Beerman ragged in the final two Glasgow derbies.
Having to field Ross McCrorie at centre half if Bruno Alves fails to make it will also, despite Caixinha’s predictions of impending greatness for the youngster, will reduce the home team’s chances of success.
The 19-year-old may be a good prospect, but it will be a tall order for him to shackle Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths in what will only be his first start for Rangers.
RANGERS 0 CELTIC 3, says Neil Cameron
Celtic will win and it’s just a case of how many.
Brendan Rodgers’s has all his best players back, while Pedro Caixinha is missing a few and even those ones who are fit have yet to fully convince this season.
The best chance Rangers have is to start the game well, which they can do, take a lead and then hope Celtic’s many attacking players have an off day.
I just can’t see it.
Celtic have too much talent all over the pitch and know how to win this game.
RANGERS 0 CELTIC 3, says Scott Mullen
Well here we go again. Some things have changed since this pair last met and Celtic hammered their Ibrox hosts 5-1. Pedro Caixinha has added a string of new players to his side and, while still not blowing teams away, have certainly raised the bar from last season. Alfredo Morelos being their biggest coup.
Yet, while some things change others very much remain the same. Celtic continue to be an unrelenting juggernaut domestically and show no signs that their PSG pumping will derail them from their bread and butter.
While Rangers are more dangerous going forward, against Partick Thistle on Tuesday they were suspect at the back and got away with it. They won’t have that luxury here against the likes of Patrick Roberts, Scott Sinclair and Leigh Griffiths.
Rangers must make a game of this, but only a big off day from Celtic will give them a hope. I can’t see it.
RANGERS 1 CELTIC 1, says Chris Jack
HAVING drawn and won their two derby fixtures against Partick Thistle in the last week, Rangers can’t afford to complete the set in the first Old Firm clash of the campaign. This one is a must not lose for Pedro Caixinha.
The spotlight is shining brightly on the Portuguese after a mixed start to the campaign and a victory over Brendan Rodgers’ side would earn him some much-needed breathing space with a frustrated and demanding support.
The Light Blues are better equipped to deal with Celtic than they were when they crashed to a 5-1 humiliation on home soil last term, but they may not be good enough to emerge victorious.
It is hard to see Caixinha’s side keeping a clean sheet but in Alfredo Morelos they have a striker that could thrive in the heat of battle.
Rangers have a point to prove, and they will surely settle for taking one at Ibrox.
RANGERS 1 CELTIC 3, says Graeme McGarry
I can’t see past a Celtic victory yet again at the home of their great rivals, although I don’t think it will be quite as straight forward as their last two trips to Govan.
Rangers are capable of playing very well for periods of a game, and if they can do that then they may be able to trouble Celtic for a time.
In the end though, I expect Celtic’s greater quality to shine through, and they will punish Rangers severely when they have one of their customary dips.
They got away with a horrible 45 minutes against Ross County, and did well to recover from a similar lapse against Partick Thistle on Tuesday night.
But they won’t get away with that against the champions, and even if Bruno Alves makes it, I think that Celtic’s attacking arsenal will be too much for an unconvincing Rangers backline.
RANGERS 0 CELTIC 2, says Stewart Weir
Top of the table, treble winners, Scotland’s representatives in the Champions League, unbeaten domestically since what feels like an eternity.
Yes, Celtic will start favourites, and probably win. At best, at very best, Rangers might get a draw. Not that bizarre a call. After all, Graeme Murty managed it with a bit of luck and pragmatism, something you could suggest, Pedro Caixinha hasn’t exactly displayed.
But this one will come down to how much firepower Brendan Rodgers has at his disposal. While Caixinha pins all his hopes on Alfredo Morelos, Rodgers could perm one, or two, from three, with Leigh Griffiths, Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard all potential threats.
The biggest danger for Rangers however, will come from out wide, with Patrick Roberts and Scott Sinclair (not forgetting James Forrest) likely to cause the Rangers full-backs – whoever they may be - untold grief for the 90 minutes.
RANGERS 0 CELTIC 2, says Stewart Fisher
This remarkable unbeaten record is going to end sometime. But there is little or no evidence out there to suggest this is it. Rangers are a completely different side to the one which were outright humiliated on their own patch in that 5-1 defeat last April.
After a faltering start under Pedro Caixinha, and the trauma of Progres Niederkorn, they are slowly building momentum, but I'm not convinced at all they will able to live with this kind of company.
While their more direct style of football could carve out a chance or two for the lively Alfredo Morelos - Dundee might have scored a few goals against Celtic in midweek - and a midfield of Ryan Jack, Graham Dorrans (and perhaps one other) should give them a far more solid spine - the Parkhead side should find themselves with plenty of the ball and I can't really see them failing to score over 90 minutes. Plenty of Rangers' players haven't tasted this cauldron before and will have to learn fast.
Brendan Rodgers' only dilemma is who to leave out. Scott Brown is in terrific form and his canny management of his squad means he can unleash a fresh Tom Rogic, Stuart Armstrong, Jozo Simunovic and Moussa Dembele. In light of the circumstances, a draw would be a fine result for the home side.
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