Preview
Celtic might have only formalities to cater to in order to lift the Ladbrokes Premiership but their next outing has much more than three points at stake. The renowned Glasgow derby, where the Celts and Rangers lock horns to determine territorial stronghold and bragging rights for their faithful awaits them. Celtic are coming off a neat 4-1 win over St. Mirren in the Scottish Cup whereas Rangers humiliated Hamilton Academy by a 6-0 score line in the same competition, which implies that both the clubs are in the mood to go for the kill.
Brendan Rodgers’ side are 27 points clear of second-placed Aberdeen and 33 points ahead of their arch-rivals in the Scottish Premiership but then, with the Scottish Cup semi-final against the Gers due to be held next month, both the clubs would want to have the last laugh in this outing as it would hand the winning side a huge psychological advantage. Meanwhile, Rangers are placed third on the league table with 46 points from 27 league outings.
Injuries & Suspensions
Tom Rogic of the Bhoys remains sidelined owing to his Malleolar injury and is due to return at the end of next month. Good news for the former Swansea City and Liverpool manager, as James Forrest, who missed a couple of games, is available for selection.
Now coming to the Teddy Bears, striker Joe Garner and defender Rob Kiernan aren’t available due to suspensions, while Jordan Rossiter and Niko Kranjcar are out with calf injury and cruciate ligament rupture respectively.
Key Battles
In-form striker Moussa Dembele should be leading the line of the green and white crop, implying that Wes Foderingham will have a tough day at the office. Nonetheless, the battle between an unstoppable striker and a relatively resilient man with the gloves would be an ideal one.
Veteran Rangers striker, in the shape of Kenny Miller, will go toe-to-toe against Celtic’s defender, Eric Sviatchenko in the Old Firm derby and Miller needs to display that he still has the calibre in him to lead the troops up front. Scott Brown is one of the best players Celtic boast of having in their ranks and he would be looked upon to produce something spectacular in a big game like this one. Andy Halliday will be the engine of Graeme Murty’s outfit once again as he bids to outclass Brown and give his employers ample chances to score.
Predicted Line-Ups
Celtic: Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Sviatchenko, Tierney; Brown, Bitton; Roberts, Armstrong, Sinclair; Dembele.
Rangers: Foderingham; Tavernier, Wilson, Hill, Wallace; Holt, Halliday, Hyndman; Waghorn, Miller, McKay.
