How Mohamed Diomande could be decisive figure in Rangers’ crucial Old Firm clash vs Celtic
Mohamed Diomande has a strong case to start for Rangers against Celtic this time around.
The Bears host the Hoops in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup, where Danny Rohl will be hoping his side can get the business done at Ibrox.
Diomande was a used substitute last time out in the 2-2 draw against Martin O’Neill’s side, but after having a week to reassess the previous fixture, Rohl may shuffle things up.
The Gers boss will know that he can’t go with the same starting lineup, and there were clear areas on display that need to be tweaked heading into Sunday’s game.
Mohamed Diomande to star in Rangers formation switch vs Celtic
Last time out against the Bhoys, Rohl deployed a 4-2-2-2 variant with both Ryan Naderi and Youssef Chermiti up top.
While Chermiti’s first-half heroics worked a treat for the Bears, the midfield overload was clear to see in the second half.
| Area | 2nd half stats |
| Possession | 58% |
| Total shots | 16 |
| Shots on target | 7 |
| Big chances missed | 5 |
| Corners | 4 |
Rangers gave Celtic too much respect in the middle of the park in the second half, hence the introduction of Diomande with 24 minutes left to play.
But by then, Celtic had already pulled one back, and always looked primed to net another, which they did controversially.
Rohl needs to add an extra man into the centre of the park this time around, and Diomande would be perfect to man-mark Celtic’s main threat, Benjamin Nygren.
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Ryan Naderi may need to be unfortunate Rangers casualty vs Celtic
Nicolas Raskin and Tochi Chukwuani are somewhat untouchable in midfield right now, which raises the question of where Diomande would fit in.
But with Chermiti on fire, Mikey Moore in form, and Rohl’s best system using wingers, switching to a flat three midfield could be the play to make.
Unfortunately, Naderi may need to be dropped to squeeze Diomande into play, which has nothing to do with the former’s performances, more just a one-off decision.
Rohl has consistently changed his formation across the season, and it would be no surprise to see another tweak against Celtic, especially considering the circumstances.
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