Michael Stewart makes Rangers prediction v Celtic live on BBC Sportscene
Michael Stewart believes that Rangers have been given the perfect moment to “land their first blow” on Celtic this season in the upcoming Old Firm derby.
Michael Beale’s side currently sit one point behind Celtic and the two face off for the first time this season on Sunday (3 September) as the Gers look to overthrow their oldest rival’s recent dominance.
Celtic haven’t started the season convincingly and could only manage a draw against St Johnstone on Saturday (26 August) leading Stewart to believe the first Old Firm couldn’t have come at a better time for Beale.
Speaking on BBC Sportscene on Sunday (27 August, 59:00) he said: “The game at the weekend, I don’t think they could be going into any better than what they are now, when you look two weeks ago it was all doom and gloom.
“It’s turned on its head now, for Rangers at home, this could be the perfect moment for them to land their first blow.”
Pressure on
While Stewart was reluctant to call the Light Blues the outright favourites, there haven’t been too many occasions in recent seasons where Rangers have been the side entering the Old Firm with wind in their sales, while Celtic have been struggling.
Rangers will be feeling confident that they are capable of beating their Glasgow rivals having found a way past their domestic opponents in difficult matches so far this season, barring the opening weekend slip-up to Kilmarnock.
At the moment the focus will be on the trip to the Netherlands to face PSV in the Champions League play-off, but with one eye on Sunday’s visit of Celtic, Beale will be quietly confident his side has enough to land that all-important blow to Celtic.
The confidence and belief a win in the first Old Firm would instil in this Rangers squad cannot be undervalued and it could go a long way to impacting what happens throughout the rest of this season. While it cannot be dubbed season-defining this early in a campaign, it could well be looked back on in that way once the season ends.
In other Rangers news, there has been a transfer update after the Gers were linked with Jesse Lingard this summer