Joe Ellis

Fri 25 March 2022 12:10, UK

Rangers’ first game back after the international break is a crucial Old Firm derby against Celtic at Ibrox with just three points separating the two teams.

The Hoops hold a slender lead over the Light Blues that largely came from their victory in the reverse fixture at the beginning of February.

Giovanni van Bornckhorst’s side will likely go above their Glasgow rivals with victory on 3 April but they will have to improve on the dire performance that saw them beaten 3-0 at Parkhead previously.

Ex-Gers striker Ally McCoist thinks Rangers will be much improved when the two sides meet despite some rocky domestic form before this break.

“I don’t think Rangers can afford to get beat,” McCoist said on Sky Sports. “Defeat is unthinkable, it really is.

“Both teams have got a little bit of form; Rangers in Europe have been excellent but domestically it’s been a little bit up and down.

“They’re hanging onto Celtic’s coattails at the moment and with this game coming up, I think we’ll see a different Rangers.”

Season defining

There will not be a bigger Scottish Premiership game than this all season and van Bornckhorst simply cannot lose this game if he wants to keep his job at Ibrox.

For all the good he and the team have done in the Europa League, their patchy form on their own shores has left them heavily on the back foot.

It all came to blows at Parkhead last month when a whirlwind half-hour saw the Hopps race to a 3-0 lead which they subsequently held onto for the rest of the game.

Any resemblance of that performance cannot rear its ugly head on 3 April because Ange Postecoglu’s side will swarm all over the Gers if they do.

The rowdy Ibrox crowd will have to roar their team on from minute one to minute 90 and if they can do that, then there is every chance the Scottish Premiership pendulum will swing back towards the blue side of Glasgow.

In other Rangers news, a BBC pundit was in awe of what they saw from this Light Blue ace on the international stage last night.