Rangers vs Celtic preview: Team news, lineups and prediction for Scottish Cup showdown
Rangers and Celtic meet again for the fifth Old Firm derby of the season at Ibrox on Sunday.
Both sides played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Ibrox last weekend, with Danny Rohl undoubtedly the more frustrated manager as his side let a two-goal lead slip.
They’ll now face off once more, this time in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, with the winner of this clash undoubtedly becoming the favourites to win the competition.
Celtic secured a 2-1 win over Aberdeen in the league on Wednesday, and although Martin O’Neill’s side failed to win on their last trip across Glasgow, they will feel confident of advancing to the semi-finals.
Ibrox News highlights everything you need to know ahead of Sunday’s clash.
Form guide
Rangers (last six games all comps): D D W D W W
Celtic (last six games all comps): D W L L W W
Head-to-head
The first meeting between the sides ended 0-0 in August, and it was definitely one of the more drab Old Firm derbies in recent history.
The Hoops prevailed over Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final in November, with O’Neill’s side winning 3-1 after extra time.
However, the Bears then went to Celtic Park at the start of 2026 and won by the same scoreline, with Youssef Chermiti scoring a brilliant brace in the second half.
And last Sunday’s draw highlights how even the fixture has been this campaign, which will make the outcome of this match incredibly hard to predict.
Overall, Rangers have won 172, lost 171 and drawn 107 matches with Celtic.
Team news and predicted lineups
Bailey Rice, Derek Cornelius and Connor Barron are still out with injuries, but Rohl should have the rest of his squad available.
John Souttar has been poor for quite some time now, and Nasser Djiga could come in to replace him at the heart of defence.
Dujon Sterling gave away the late penalty which led to Celtic’s equaliser on Sunday, meaning James Tavernier could start instead.
As for Celtic, Auston Trusty is serving the last match of his suspension, and the likes of Arne Engels, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota and Alistair Johnston are all out injured.
Rangers predicted XI: Butland; Tavernier, Djiga, Fernandez, Rommens; Raskin, Chukwuani; Skov Olsen, Moore, Naderi, Chermiti
Celtic predicted XI: Sinisalo; Araujo, Arthur, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Hatate; Yang, Nygren, Tounekti; Maeda
How I predict Rangers vs Celtic to finish
Celtic haven’t won on their last five visits to Ibrox, which shows how difficult it will be for them to advance to the next round.
The Bears also have the advantage of a full week of preparation, whereas the Hoops will have to recover quickly from their win at Pittodrie.
Youssef Chermiti seems to have the Midas touch against Celtic, and if his stunning brace last weekend is anything to go by, then he’ll be in for another eventful match.
Therefore, home advantage should make a big difference in Sunday’s meeting, and the Light Blues will likely prevail as 3-2 winners.
For more in-depth analysis of the Gers, visit Football Insider and have a look at their coverage.