We will shift our focus to Cup competitions this weekend as Rangers take on their bitter rivals Celtic in the semis of the Scottish League Cup. When the two most successful clubs in Scottish football take on each other, the whole world set their attention to Scotland. The Old Firm Derby, one of the biggest and fiercest rivalries in world football, will be on show on Sunday and this game being contested in the semis of the League Cup adds more flavour to it.
Rangers travelled to Celtic last month for the first Old Firm Derby this season and came back with the humiliation of losing 5-1. Warburton will demand a stronger showing from his boys to stand toe to toe with their rivals.
Last season, the two Glasgow sides met each other in the semis of the Scottish Cup and Rangers won 7-6 on penalties after the two teams settled for a 2-2 stalemate. To come up with a similar result, Warburton needs a better game plan.
Outnumber and Burn Out Celtic in midfield
Celtic have excellent quality in the middle of the park in Bitton and Brown but Rangers do have a weapon of their own. They have youth on their side and Warburton needs to use this to their advantage.
With Kranjcar out with an injury on a long-term and Barton unavailable due to suspension, the midfield trio for Rangers is likely to be Halliday, Holt and Windass.
The three players are 25, 23 and 22 respectively and possess the energy and tenacity to nullify the impact of Brown and Bitton. The midfield trio of Rangers need to press Celtic high up the pitch. If they let Celtic play, the Hoops will eventually score goals with the quality they have up front.
Celtic are an attacking team and play a possession-based game. If Rangers allow the Celtic midfielders too much possession of the ball, they have to pay a price for it. Kranjcar not playing can prove to be a blessing disguise as the Croat is now in his thirties and offers very little defensively. Windass, on the other hand, has shown a hunger to make something happen whenever he has played this season.
Rangers are not a pressing side like Borussia Monchengladbach but they have to learn from how Andre Schubert’s side outplayed Celtic in midfield. Kramer, Strobl and Stindl played their hearts out in the midweek against Celtic with their pressing and Celtic failed to score a single goal. The likes of Dembele, Griffiths, Forrest, Roberts, Rogic, Sinclair all are big threats in front of the goal but the Hoops’ secret to success lies in their central midfield i.e. Brown and Bitton. Rangers have to keep the duo out of the game and only then they can stop Celtic.
