Celtic v Rangers preview: Team news, predicted lineups, where to watch, head to head
Rangers will look to cut down the 16-point deficit to Celtic when they face their Old Firm rivals on Sunday.
The Gers have surrendered the Scottish Premiership to Celtic as Brendan Rodgers’ side sit 16 points clear at the top with 75 points.
Rangers’s below-par Scottish Premiership season means they will now go four seasons without winning the league.
Celtic exited the Champions League in the knockout stages, losing to Bayern Munich on aggregate, but their dominance in the Scottish league is unmatched.
Rangers, on the other hand, have progressed to the quarter-finals of the Europa League and still therefore have something to play for this season.
Rangers may only have that trophy to play for, but their game against Celtic promises to be a high-octane clash nonetheless.
Celtic vs Rangers preview
Rangers will enter the game on the back of a 2-0 loss to Fenerbahce in the Europa League. Despite the defeat on the night, the Gers managed to advance to the next round, defeating the Turkish giants on penalties thanks to Jack Butland’s heroics at Ibrox.
In the Premiership, Rangers lost their last game to Motherwell and will be looking to bounce back. As for Celtic, they are cruising towards yet another league title. They won their last game against Hibernian in the Scottish Cup while dismantling St. Mirren in the league before that.
| Club | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points |
| 1. Celtic | 29 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 75 |
| 2. Rangers | 29 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 59 |
Rodgers’ side are in control and will go on to become Scottish champions again. They are the league’s top scorers with 87 goals and have made goalscoring a fun habit. Rangers’ defence will have their work cut out in stopping the Celtic frontline.
Rangers team news vs Celtic
Barry Ferguson almost has a full-strength squad to choose from. Defender Neraysho Kasanwirjo is unavailable for the game as he works his way back to full fitness after picking up a knee injury in November 2024.
Robin Propper was included in the squad for the Fenerbahce game but did not feature. Ferguson will take a call on the 31-year-old centre-back before the Celtic match.
Rangers predicted lineup vs Celtic
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Balogun, Souttar, Yilmaz, Raskin, Barron, Jefte, Cerny, Diomande, Dessers
Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Cater-Vickers, Scales, Schlupp, Engels, McGregor, Hatate, Kuhn, Maeda, Idah
Head to head
Rangers facing Celtic is the biggest game of the season in Scotland and the two sides have faced each other three this season.
In the two Premiership games, Rangers have won once and Celtic have won once. In the League Cup Final, Celtic pipped the Gers on penalties to win the trophy.
Rangers have faced defeat at Celtic Park in their last seven trips there, with their last win at Celtic coming back in April 2022.
In the last 10 Premiership games between the two Scottish giants, Celtic have had the bragging rights for six games whereas Rangers have emerged victorious just twice.
Where to watch
The match will take place on 16th March with the kick-off at 12:30pm. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and the coverage around the derby will begin at 11:30am on Sky Sports Football.
Prediction: Celtic 3-1 Rangers
Unfortunately, Rangers do not have the required firepower and quality at this point to stun Celtic. Rodgers’ side are better in all departments, which is a sad truth Gers fans have grown to accept.
It will have to be something special for Ferguson’s side to get anything out of this game as their domestic season is already over and they are not catching up to Celtic.