Rangers vs Celtic – News and Probable Lineups

Rangers will clash with Celtic at Ibrox Stadium for an important Old Firm derby as they continue their pursuit of the Scottish Premiership title.

The Gers currently sit in second place with 56 points after 28 matches, while the Bhoys occupy the third spot with 54 points from 27 games.

Match overview

Rangers started the 2025-26 campaign poorly, with just one victory from their first eight Scottish Premiership matches, alongside six draws and one loss.

As a result, the Gers found themselves trailing significantly behind the leaders, but the recent appointment of Danny Rohl has seen them climb swiftly back into title contention.

Under Rohl’s management, they have achieved 14 victories, five draws, and just one defeat over 20 matches, propelling the team into second place and only four points adrift of first-placed Hearts.

Rangers recently narrowed the gap to two points from the leaders after a thrilling 4-2 triumph against Hearts in mid-February, where Yousseff Chermiti bagged a hat-trick, but a draw last weekend put them further behind the Jambos.

Facing a surprising 2-0 deficit against bottom-placed Livingston with only ten minutes left, Rangers managed to secure a draw thanks to goals from Emmanuel Fernandez and Mikey Moore, yet Rohl and his side will be disappointed not to have taken all three points.

As they approach this match, Rangers will aim to prevent themselves from falling further behind Hearts in the title chase, especially with only five matches remaining before the Scottish Premiership splits.

However, on Sunday, Rangers will face a well-known adversary as they welcome their Old Firm rivals Celtic to Ibrox.

Celtic have also gone through tough times this season, experiencing a challenging period under Wilfried Nancy, who oversaw only two wins and six losses across all competitions.

Martin O’Neill was appointed as the replacement for Nancy, marking the head coach’s second interim spell at the club this season, and it has been apparent that improvements have been made in the weeks that followed.

Under O’Neill, Celtic has secured nine wins, two draws, and two losses in 13 matches, with a record of five wins, one draw, and one defeat in the Scottish Premiership.

However, they suffered a defeat last weekend against Hibernian, with a last-gasp 87th-minute winner from Kai Andrews resulting in Celtic falling six points behind leaders Hearts and two points behind Rangers.

Celtic do possess the advantage of having a game in hand compared to the two teams above them, allowing them the potential to close the gap to three points with a win.

O’Neill’s focus will be on the upcoming Old Firm derby, with pride, the opportunity to enhance their title challenge, and to hinder their rivals’ ambitions all at stake.

Recent encounters between Rangers and Celtic have favored the Gers, who have triumphed in three out of their last six meetings, drawing two and suffering only one defeat, including a 3-1 victory in their last encounter in January.

Team News

Rangers are expected to be without Connor Barron, Derek Cornelius, and Bailey Rice due to their respective injury concerns ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm fixture.

The potential front four could comprise Chermiti, Djeidi Gassama, Moore, and Andreas Skov Olsen against Celtic, with an unchanged midfield partnership of Tochi Chukwuani and Nicolas Raskin likely to feature.

On the other hand, Celtic are contending with several injury problems, including Jota, Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Callum Osmand, and Arne Engels, while Auston Trusty is also sidelined due to suspension.

In Trusty’s absence, Benjamin Arthur may pair with Liam Scales in central defense, with additional changes possible following last weekend’s loss.

Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate could both enter the starting XI in place of Yang Hyun-Jun and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Rangers probable starting XI:

Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Fernandez, Rommens; Raskin, Chukwuani; Skov Olsen, Moore, Gassama; Chermity

Celtic probable starting XI:

Schmeichel; Araujo, Arthur, Scales, Tierney; Hatate, McGregor; Tounekti, Nygren, Maeda; Cvancara

Recent Old Firm encounters have seen Rangers emerging on top, and they also boast a solid home league record this season, notching nine wins, four draws, and just one defeat.

Conversely, Celtic have faced four league defeats away this season, already surpassing their total from the last six seasons combined, and it is anticipated that their struggles on the road may continue, leading to a Rangers victory.