Rangers and Celtic meet at Ibrox for the 444th Old Firm derby in the first set of Scottish Premiership matches of 2025, scheduled for Thursday.
Just two weeks ago, Celtic triumphed over their Glasgow counterparts in the League Cup final via penalties, and they currently lead the Premiership standings. Following a 3-0 defeat in the season’s initial Old Firm clash at Celtic Park, Rangers rallied with an impressive form that brought them somewhat closer to Brendan Rodgers’s squad and saw them achieve significant success in European competitions.
A major victory in Nice, a draw against Tottenham Hotspur, and decisive wins over Kilmarnock and St Mirren lifted the spirits among Rangers fans, even though the title seemed out of reach.
They had an opportunity to redeem a disappointing start during the League Cup final, but after another loss in penalties, their season took another downturn.
Philippe Clement’s side narrowly defeated Dundee shortly after, yet since Christmas, they suffered a loss to St Mirren and were lucky to secure a point against Motherwell at Fir Park over the weekend.
Rangers found themselves trailing 2-0 at half-time, narrowly escaping a further setback when Jack Butland’s own goal was disallowed due to a questionable foul call by the referee. Despite this, they managed to fight back and finish with a 2-2 draw.
However, this result widened the gap between them and Celtic even further, leaving Rangers 14 points adrift with only half of the season remaining.
Adding to their woes ahead of the season’s most crucial match, their defeat in the League Cup final marked just one victory in the last 17 Old Firm derbies for Rangers.
This news will be well-received by Celtic, who maintained their comfortable march towards the title with a second consecutive 4-0 victory over the weekend. St Johnstone were the latest to suffer, following Motherwell, who were also beaten by the same scoreline on Boxing Day. Celtic have impressively kept 15 clean sheets in 18 Premiership matches this season.
Over nine hours have passed since Kasper Schmeichel’s net was last breached, with Rodgers’s defence conceding only four goals this season.
Their formidable attack, having netted 52 goals, ensures they remain unbeaten, losing only four points and reaching the fifty-point milestone with Sunday’s victory.
The squad’s depth will be crucial in the upcoming weeks. Despite having six games ahead, the focus will shift to the Champions League match against Young Boys following their trip to Glasgow.
Rodgers faces the challenge of managing five league matches within 12 days and the commencement of the Scottish Cup before hosting the Swiss champions at Celtic Park in a crucial clash at month’s end.
