With the doable exception of the very early weeks of the season, when Celtic and Rangers meet, it’s traditional for one in all them to be hovering someplace near disaster. It’s merely the character of Scottish soccer, the overwhelming energy and remorseless antipathy of the Glasgow sides. When one is down, the opposite is presumably up.
Not this season, nevertheless. For the primary time in a technology, there appears to be an actual prospect that somebody aside from the Outdated Agency may win the title. Hearts’ 3-0 win over Celtic on Sunday gave them a six-point lead on the high of the Premiership with 10 video games performed and set the reigning champions in freefall. There’s a probability the title may shift out of Glasgow and it has been a really very long time since that has been the case, not to mention since one other group gained it, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen in 1985. The final time Hearts had been Scottish champions in 1960, a little-known Liverpool five-piece had simply named themselves the Silver Beetles.
Celtic and Rangers may occupy second and third however each already bear the scars of 2025-26. The previous go to Hampden Park with no supervisor, Brendan Rodgers resigning in incendiary trend after the Hearts defeat. Lengthy-bubbling pressure with possession boiled over as main shareholder Dermot Desmond accused the outgoing supervisor of “divisive, deceptive, and self-serving” statements and actions that contributed to a poisonous ambiance at Celtic Park. That has solely partially been eased by the interim return of the enormously profitable Martin O’Neill, winner of three league titles in his previous tenure.
In a method, Celtic are merely taking part in catch-up with Rangers on the tumult stakes. Their supervisor, Russell Martin was sacked on October 5, 4 months right into a three-year contract. It took greater than a fortnight of setbacks and close to misses earlier than former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl was appointed. Since then, outcomes have improved domestically, a 1-0 win at Hibernian shifting Rangers as much as third within the Premiership at the same time as they continue to be rooted to the underside of the desk within the Europa League league section.
There’s, in fact, a protracted method to go within the title race however amid their travails, this semifinal of the Scottish League Cup seems to be like a possibility. This trophy is the newest main honor that Rangers lifted in 2024 and no group has gained it extra often. It could possibly be a perfect early Christmas current for his or her supporters, although a lot the identical is true at Celtic. Provided that each golf equipment might nicely by then have new managers eager on ingratiating themselves, a win within the 448th Outdated Agency derby is as very important as ever.
Viewing data
- Date: Sunday, Nov. 2 | Time: 10 a.m. ET
- Location: Hampden Park — Glasgow, United Kingdom
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Odds: Celtic -133; Draw +280; Rangers +290
Potential lineups
Celtic XI: Kasper Schmeichel; Anthony Ralston, Auston Trusty, Liam Scales, Kieran Tierney; Benjamin Nygren, Callum McGregor, Arne Engels; Daizen Maeda, Johnny Kenny, Sebastian Tounekti.
Rangers XI: Jack Butland; Nasser Djiga, John Souttar, Derek Cornelius; James Tavernier, Mohamed Diomande, Nicolas Raskin, Jayden Meghoma; Danilo, Youssef Chermiti, Djeidi Gassama.
Prediction
The bookmakers would have you ever consider that Celtic are fairly robust favorites for this sport on impartial turf however it’s hardly ever so clear minimize when these two meet. Maybe they’ll emerge victorious however it’s positive to be a decent sport. PICK: Celtic 2, Rangers 1
