Celtic Target Revenge Against In-Form Rangers at Celtic Park

Old Firm Rivals Clash Again

Celtic and Rangers are set to face off this Sunday at Celtic Park in a highly anticipated Scottish Premiership match. This game comes just one week after Rangers defeated Celtic 3-0 in the Premier Sports Cup quarter finals. In that cup clash, South Africa defender Olwethu Makhanya stood out for Rangers. Daniel Neil scored twice, while Kevin Kelsy scored once and assisted one of Neil's goals.

Now, the focus shifts back to the league. Celtic currently hold a five point lead over their Glasgow rivals at the top of the table. Despite a perfect start to the league season with six wins from six matches, Celtic enter this game after suffering two consecutive defeats. Their most recent defeat was a 3-1 loss to Ferencváros in the Europa League on Thursday.

Team News and Form

After the European loss, Celtic manager Martin O'Neill shared his thoughts. "We're naturally disappointed getting beaten," O'Neill said. "We really need to concentrate now on Sunday."

Both teams are dealing with several squad issues. Celtic will be without Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand, and Landon Emenalo due to injuries. Yang Hyun-jun is also unavailable as he is away at the Asian games.

For Rangers, captain Lawrence Shankland is out with a long term thigh injury. Youssef Chermiti and Daisuke Yokota are also out with long term injuries, while Ryan Naderi is a doubt after a heavy challenge last Sunday.

Despite these injuries, Derek McInnes' side is in excellent form. Rangers have won their last five games in all competitions and conceded only once in that period. Historically, Celtic recently surpassed Rangers as the most successful side in Premiership history, holding 56 titles to Rangers' 55.

What it means for the next game

Celtic vs Rangers (Scottish Premiership, Sun, 20 Sep): Celtic win 47%, draw 26%, Rangers win 27%; expected goals 1.63 to 1.20. Our safest pick: Under 3.5 goals.