Michael Stewart left stunned by what he’s read about Rangers ahead of Celtic clash
Rangers travel to Celtic Park on Saturday for the third Old Firm derby of the season already.
Rangers lost 3-1 to Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final on 2 November, with Danny Rohl’s first experience of the fixture ending in a painful defeat.
However, Rangers have been impressive in the Scottish Premiership since his appointment, winning seven out of their 10 matches in the competition.
Across Glasgow, Wilfried Nancy has had a turbulent start at Celtic, but has entertainingly won his last two matches.
Michael Stewart looked ahead to the match and couldn’t predict an outcome, but he was shocked to find out one thing about Rangers beforehand.
Rangers have the best defence in the Scottish Premiership
Rangers host St. Mirren on Tuesday at Ibrox, but once they get past that test, all eyes will be firmly focused on the trip to Parkhead.
Ahead of those games, the Bears still boast the best defence in the Scottish Premiership.
Speaking on the Scottish Football Social Club podcast on 29 December, Stewart was unable to call which team would win the Old Firm derby, while also making note of Rangers’ record.
He said: “Rangers have the best defensive record in the league, and I find it incredible. Looking ahead to the derby, you’re talking about a Celtic team that are creating chances but failing to take them.
“Defensively, they will gift several opportunities to this Rangers side that haven’t found an attacking rhythm yet. That game could literally end up anything.”
| Team | Goals conceded in Scottish Premiership |
| Rangers | 15 |
| Celtic, Motherwell | 16 |
| Hearts | 17 |
Despite the disastrous start to the season, the Bears are leading the way in an impressive metric, which is extraordinary given the fact that they have conceded some truly comical goals this season.
It is perhaps down to Jack Butland’s heroics, but Rohl has made his side tricky to beat, and that’s all he can do while he waits for the January transfer window to open so he can bring in his own crop of talent.
Celtic have scored seven goals in their last two matches and have become an incredibly entertaining side to watch under Nancy.
The pressure to win is equally high for both managers, who can’t afford to slip up as they chase league leaders Hearts.
Rohl may have the advantage going into the match, as he can learn from his previous experience in his first match against Celtic.
- Read more: What Russell Martin said about Youssef Chermiti after he signed for Rangers is now laughable
How can Rangers learn from their loss to Celtic in November?
The first league meeting between the sides ended 0-0 in August, with Russell Martin and Brendan Rodgers managing one of the worst games in the fixture’s history.
It’s safe to say a lot has changed since then, and Rohl certainly has a better relationship with his supporters than Nancy does.
In the 3-1 defeat, Thelo Aasgaard’s red card made it hard for the Bears to attack against Celtic, who were managed by Martin O’Neill at the time.
However, with Rangers looking promising at the back, their best move could be to sit off and let Nancy’s men attack them.
Celtic have conceded 13 goals in six matches since Nancy took over, and if Rangers’ wingers can isolate their full-backs, then they stand a good chance of winning their first Old Firm derby of the season.
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