Rangers vs Celtic

This Sunday’s Old Firm derby at Ibrox Stadium will see Rangers host newly crowned Scottish Premiership champions Celtic in the final Glasgow clash of the season. With league positions already decided, only pride and local bragging rights remain on the line.

Rangers, locked into second place, will be desperate to disrupt Celtic’s title celebrations and snap a concerning five-game winless streak. Despite sitting comfortably 14 points ahead of third-placed Hibernian, the Gers trail their fierce rivals by a massive 17 points—a bitter reminder of a disappointing campaign that saw Celtic match their historic record of 55 top-flight titles.

It has been a season to forget for Rangers, who struggled from the outset with their worst-ever start after 12 games (7 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses), leaving them playing catch-up to Celtic from the early stages. Their woes deepened with a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Celtic in the Scottish League Cup final, followed by a shocking Scottish FA Cup exit at the hands of lower-league Queen’s Park—marking the first time in Rangers’ 153-year history that they lost a home Scottish Cup tie to a lower-division side.

That defeat proved the beginning of the end for manager Philippe Clement, who was dismissed just two games later after a 2-0 loss to St Mirren. Interim boss Barry Ferguson has since taken charge, showing glimpses of promise—most notably a penalty shootout victory over Fenerbahçe in the Europa League. However, recent form has dipped, with elimination by Athletic Bilbao in Europe and a five-match winless run domestically.

Sunday’s clash presents an opportunity for Rangers to salvage some pride, with Ferguson aiming to strengthen his case for the permanent job while laying the groundwork for next season—when they’ll hope to halt Celtic’s dominance after four straight titles.

For Celtic, the trip to Ibrox will be a victory lap after sealing the title in emphatic fashion with a 5-0 thrashing of Dundee United. The Hoops’ triumph was inevitable from early in the season, particularly after Aberdeen’s collapse from matchday 12 onward, allowing them to cruise to another championship.

While the result may not change the league standings, the Old Firm derby never lacks intensity—and Rangers will be determined to ensure their rivals don’t enjoy an unblemished celebration on their home turf.

Despite a slight stumble in their final seven pre-split fixtures—suffering three disappointing defeats—Celtic ultimately sealed the league title in their first post-split match. Regardless of the delayed celebrations, their campaign has undoubtedly been a success.

The Hoops remain on track for a historic sixth domestic treble in just nine seasons, having already secured the Scottish League Cup and Premiership title. Now, only the Scottish FA Cup final against Aberdeen at the end of the month stands between them and another historic achievement.

To build momentum ahead of the final, Celtic will look to maintain their blistering attacking form, having scored five goals in each of their last three matches—a 5-1 win followed by back-to-back 5-0 victories.

While they’ve dominated domestically this season, their record against Rangers has been mixed, with two wins and two defeats—including losses in their last two encounters. However, they triumphed when it mattered most, lifting the Scottish League Cup after defeating their rivals in the final.