Scottish Premiership: Celtic v Rangers
Venue: Celtic Park Date: Sunday, 1 September Time: 12:30 BST
Coverage: Follow live on the BBC Sport website & app and on BBC Sounds; watch highlights on Sportscene
Celtic and Rangers will meet in the first Old Firm derby of the season on Sunday, with both looking for a statement win.
Brendan Rodgers’ reigning champions will be aiming to go five points clear of their city rivals, while Philippe Clement’s side will have designs on moving above their hosts after four games of the Scottish Premiership season.
Celtic are favourites, having lost just one of the last 12 derbies, with Rangers’ Belgian manager yet to record a victory in his four Old Firm games.
And with no away fans inside Celtic Park, it will be a daunting atmosphere in which they will be trying to end that run.
What they said
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: “As professional players and coaches, we prepare for the game and especially these games in particular.
“You know that there’s a different psyche in them. We’re coming into it in a really good place but we can never just assume that you don’t have to do the work.
“You have to do all the dirty side of the game, you have to be together, you’ve got to be unified and then bring your football and see how difficult you can make it for the opponent.”
Rangers manager Philippe Clement: “For the fans, we know it’s the game of the season. For us also, it’s your biggest rival.
“It’s three important points in the league, but you have 34 games also after.
“I think there’s been a more negative perception around the club but people forget sometimes to see what’s going well. It’s not all bad.
“We are a young exciting team who want to challenge that now. But I believe we also have the quality to challenge that and to go full out for the three points.”
Team news
Celtic could give debuts to Alex Valle, Arne Engels, Auston Trusty and Luke McCowan, while Cameron Carter-Vickers is fit despite missing training on Friday.
James Forrest could make his 500th Celtic appearance.
Rangers have a fresh doubt over Leon Balogun after he went off with a neck injury against Ross County last weekend.
Nico Raskin, Robin Propper, Oscar Cortes and Ridvan Yilmaz are battling to regain fitness but signing Neraysho Kasanwirjo could be involved. Nedim Bajrami will not be, though, after his clearance was delayed.
Match stats
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Celtic have lost just one of the last 12 derbies in all competitions (W8 D3) – a 3-0 defeat in May 2023. They had lost seven of their previous 10 meetings with Rangers before that (W2 D1).
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Since the start of 2022-23, Rangers have lost all four away league games against Celtic. They last lost five in a row against at Celtic Park in April 1980.
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Celtic have won the first Premiership Old Firm derby in six of the eight seasons since Rangers’ promotion in 2016 (L2).
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Rodgers’ side have won all three of their league matches this season by an aggregate score of 9-0. The last side to win and keep a clean sheet in each of their first four were Celtic themselves in 2010-11.
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Rangers have only won one of their last six away league games (D3 L2), and are winless in their last three (D2 L1).
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Rodgers has lost just one of his 18 Old Firm derbies (W14 D3) – a 1-0 defeat by Steven Gerrard’s Rangers in December 2018. His 78% win rate is the highest of any manager for either club.
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Clement is yet to win a derby in four attempts (D1 L3); only two Rangers managers have ever failed to win their first five were Graeme Murty (5) and William Wilton (8).
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Each of the last 11 league derbies have had at least one first half goal, with six of them having a goal in the opening 10 minutes.