Rangers Vs Celtic
A superb derby day atmosphere at Ibrox, with the hosts desperate for a win to keep their title hopes alive. But can they harness the Ibrox noise and halt Celtic’s momentum?
Rangers have an early chance to draw level as Fashion Sakala finds space inside the box, but his shot is wide.
Rangers
The Old Firm rivalry between Celtic and Rangers goes well beyond what happens on the soccer field. It’s a battle for Scottish supremacy, religion, and politics. The two teams represent different factions of Scottish society, with Celtic fans being largely Catholic and nationalist, while Rangers supporters are largely Protestant and Unionist. In the past, matches between the clubs have been a stage for sectarianism, resulting in some of the worst violence and riots in British sporting history.
With a win over Rangers, Celtic can complete their sixth consecutive season with the Scottish Premiership trophy. The Glasgow giants are seven points clear of second-placed Aberdeen and can secure a record-extending ninth straight title with victory over their city rivals. Despite their dominance on the pitch, Celtic have been hampered by poor results away from home this year. Nevertheless, the club is confident of a strong finish to the season and can secure a fifth consecutive treble if they maintain their superb home form.
Rangers are a much-changed team under Graeme Souness this season, with the Ibrox side bottom of the league. The Gers have won just three of their first eight games, including a defeat against Celtic last weekend. The club still needs to score a goal at home this season and will likely struggle to avoid relegation from the top flight of Scottish football.
A goalless first half saw the two sides cancel each other out at Ibrox, with many chances going begging. Celtic were unlucky with a couple of long-range shots and had a goal disallowed after Leigh Griffiths was adjudged offside. But the visitors were likelier to score, and their pressure paid off with a goal from Todd Cantwell just after the break.
Mikael Lustig then headed in a fourth before Kenny Miller pulled one back for the Rangers with ten minutes to go. However, the Celtic defense held on to give Brendan Rodgers his fifth Old Firm win in a row.
The rivalry between the two teams has earned the name “the most intense local derby on earth.” Many sports enthusiasts and ex-professionals consider it as fierce as El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Although the match is played in different cities, the atmosphere is tense, and the fans are always glued to the TV screens.
The teams have met 155 times in all competitions, with Celtic winning 143 and Rangers winning 94. The most recent meeting was in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup, which was won by Celtic thanks to Jota’s goal. This was the first time Celtic had taken the lead into half-time in an Old Firm match since 2017. Moreover, this was their first competitive match at Ibrox for nearly four years.
Celtic
The Glasgow rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is among the most intense in world football. This fierce rivalry is not just about soccer – it goes much deeper than that and has become deeply embedded in Scottish culture. The hatred between the two clubs is so deep that it extends beyond the stadium and into politics, religion, and sectarianism. The Old Firm derby is a clash of cultures that pits two of Scotland’s biggest and most successful clubs against each other.
Celtic have already won the Scottish Premiership this season and are in a commanding position to win the Scottish Cup. However, they must beat their arch-rivals to secure a triple crown. The matchup between the two teams is always tough, and it will be no different this time. The 2-2 draw against Rangers on Sunday was an encouraging performance for the champions, but they will need to step up their game to defeat their old rivals again.
Daizen Maeda got the ball rolling for Rangers in the fifth minute with a clinical finish after he latched onto a poor back pass from Celtic’s top scorer Alfredo Morelos. The visitors grew in confidence as the first half went on, and they nearly took the lead in the 28th minute, but Joe Hart was forced to turn a shot from Ryan Kent around the post for a corner.
In the second half, Michael Beale’s men went close on several occasions as they looked to build up a head of steam. John Souttar made it 2-0 for the Ibrox side in the 50th minute with a header from a James Tavernier cross after the England defender met the ball under duress from Reo Hatate at the front post. Soon after, McCrorie saved well from Fashion Sakala’s low strike before he denied Matt O’Riley from a distance with another fine save.
Rangers continued to press with a few chances of their own. McCrorie was called into action to tip Malik Tillman’s drive over the bar, while Morelos narrowly missed the target with a low shot from the edge of the box.
Despite the setbacks, Celtic were still threatening, and they should have scored a third goal in the game’s final stages. But a last-gasp equalizer from Kyogo Furuhashi prevented them from claiming all three points.
Celtics have much to prove in this match, and they will be eager to take revenge against their arch-rivals. However, they must improve their finishing to overcome the Rangers’ stingy defense. The home team has conceded just seven goals this season, which is the best record in the league. If they can maintain this efficiency level, they will win their next four games and seal the Scottish Premiership title.
Predictions
The match between Celtic and Rangers is the most ferocious rivalry in Scotland and one of the fiercest in all of world football. It’s a contest that is more than just about the football on the pitch; it has religious and political sectarian undertones. No other football rivalry has the same intensity as this one. It’s not just about winning the league title but also about staking your claim in a long-running battle of Catholicism and nationalism against unionist Protestantism.
Celtic have been unstoppable in the Scottish top flight in the last few years. They’ve only lost once in 34 matches this season and have won 31, including their previous four meetings with Rangers. This will be the final time these two teams meet this season, and it’s expected to be a high-scoring affair.
Celtic is coming into this match fresh off a 2-0 win over Hearts, which officially crowned them champions of the Scottish Premiership. However, they weren’t at their best in that victory and could have dropped some points in the second half. They were caught cold by a sloppy defensive mix-up, and Daizen Maeda’s mistake gifted the home side a third goal in the 70th minute.
Rangers fans will expect a strong performance from their team in this clash with the city rivals. They’ve run their old foes close on derby the day before, and this is the perfect opportunity to deliver a win and give their players and supporters some confidence for next year. Michael Beale needs his team to prove they can still win games against the best teams, even when nothing is on the line.
Both teams have a strong set of strikers, but Kyogo Furuhashi and James Tavernier will be key for Rangers. Furuhashi has scored five goals against Celtic this season and is 6/4 to score in this game. Tavernier is a set-piece specialist and has scored a brace in his last three games against Celtic, so he’s 7/2 to score any time. If you’re looking for a more value-based option, Kyogo Furuhashi to score anytime is worth a look at 13/2 with William Hill.
This will be a good chance to add another goal against his former club and show that he can be a consistent goal-scorer—rangers vs. Celtic predictions and free betting tips. The match will occur on Saturday, May 13, at Ibrox Stadium. The kickoff is at 4:30 AM. Good luck!
