Celtic vs Rangers Predictions
Celtic and Rangers lock horns for the second time in seven days in what promises to be a fascinating instalment of the Old Firm derby.
The hosts suffered painful back-to-back defeats this week, while Rangers arrive at Parkhead in high spirits after last week’s dominant win at Ibrox.
BTTS is my best bet on Sunday, while Rangers double chance also looks like a solid choice.
Rangers to Test Out-of-Sorts Hosts
- Celtic lost their last 2 matches
- Celtic failed to win 9 of their last 11 matches against Rangers
- Rangers have seen BTTS in 6 of their last 8 away matches against Celtic
- Rangers won 2 of their last 3 away matches against Celtic
- Rangers won 7 of their last 8 matches
Celtic and Rangers Level in H2H Since 2020
Celtic and Rangers have met on thirty-one occasions since 2020. Both teams picked up 12 wins during that period. Seven meetings ended in a draw.
Rangers won the most recent meeting 3-0 at Ibrox last weekend, while Celtic claimed a 3-1 league victory at Parkhead in May.
Celtic Suffer Back-to-Back Beatdowns
Celtic return to Celtic Park after a dismal 3-1 defeat against Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday.
Ferencvaros broke the deadlock with Liam Scales' own goal before Mika Baur’s leveller.
Kristoffer Zachariassen restored the visitors’ advantage before Daniel Arzani added a spectacular third as Celtic slipped to back-to-back defeats.
Despite finishing with more shots, 64% and a higher xG, Celtic were left empty-handed as the Hungarians eased to victory in front of a disconsolate home crowd.
Thursday’s setback came on the back of a 3-0 humbling against Rangers in the League Cup quarter-final at Ibrox last Sunday.
The Scottish champions have now lost three of their last seven matches, leaking 13 goals in the process. The Hoops kept just two clean sheets in that period.
Recent results against Rangers offer little encouragement. Celtic recorded only two wins in 11 encounters since December 2024. O’Neil’s men did claim a 3-1 win in their most recent meeting at Parkhead in May.
Rangers Arrive in Confident Mood
Rangers make the short trip to the east end of Glasgow after a superb 3-0 victory in last week’s Scottish League Cup quarter-final at Ibrox.
Captain Dan Neil produced a magnificent midfield display, with two brilliant strikes from outside the box before Kevin Kelsy completed a dominant win for the Gers.
Derek McInnes’s side controlled proceedings in a surprisingly one-sided victory. The Gers defence held firm, giving up only four shots against a sluggish Celtic attack.
After a dreadful start to the new season, the Glasgow giants have picked up some serious momentum in the last month. Rangers won seven of their last eight games, with their only blip an albeit disastrous 1-0 defeat against Jablonec in Conference League qualification.
McInnes’s men can also take confidence from their most recent trips to Parkhead. The Gers won two of their last three away games on the east end of Glasgow, scoring three goals in both victories.
Celtic vs Rangers Team News
Celtic: (4-2-3-1) Viljami Sinisalo; Colby Donovan, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, Kieran Tierney; Callum McGregor, Mika Baur; Haissem Hassan, Benjamin Nygren, Camilo Duran; Kasper Hogh.
Celtic boss O’Neill is likely to make changes after Thursday’s Europa League defeat.
Kasper Hogh and Benjamin Nygren are expected to return to the first XI after making half-time appearances against Ferencvaros.
Jota remains unavailable while he continues his recovery from an ACL injury, while Yang Hyun-Jun is on international duty with South Korea.
“I’ve been here before. I have, honestly. And the reaction is no different to what I would have expected.
“It’s an absolute crisis if you lose… and at the end of it you don’t want to lose too many; losing too many might end up with you not winning the league. That’s what it’s all about.”
Rangers: (4-2-3-1) Ivor Pandur; Dujon Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez, Olwethu Makhanya, James Penrice; Daniel Neil, Nicolas Raskin; Minsu Kim, Kevin Kelsy, Djeidi Gassama; Ryan Naderi.
Rangers are expected to retain the same XI that started the 3-0 victory over Celtic last weekend.
Lawrence Shankland, Youssef Chermiti and Daisuke Yokota remain unavailable, while Tuur Rommens is unlikely to feature despite his return to training.
Kevin Kelsy and Ryan Naderi will continue to lead the line after both impressed in last week’s Ibrox triumph.
Gers boss McInnes was full of praise for his side’s dominant performance.
"It was the performance and result we were all looking for. The game demanded a big performance, and I thought we delivered on that. It's a good reference point for my players. They're a young squad, and they saw how much that result means to the supporters.
"We'll enjoy today, but the challenge at this club is to go and do it all again next week. We had to play well because Celtic have the quality that can change the game in a heartbeat.”