For the first time in years Rangers go into an Old Firm derby with genuine hope of launching a challenge to Celtic.
It’s been a long, hard time in the shadows for Rangers, but ahead of their Old Firm derby with Celtic on Sunday, could the blue tide finally be turning their way?
Rangers entered administration in 2012 and dropped down to the fourth tier of Scottish football – and it has been a long, hard road back ever since, taking in three promotions in four years.
Now back in the top flight, Rangers are desperately trying to get back on level terms with their Glasgow rivals Celtic, who have won six league titles in a row and have a six-point lead in their bid for a seventh.
Sky Bet match odds: Rangers 14/5 Draw 5/2 Celtic 19/20
Rangers have just one win in 11 tries against Celtic – just a Scottish Cup penalty shootout success to their name in 2016 – but now they go into the Old Firm game with genuine hope of victory having matched the recent form of their rivals.
🎥 PRESSER: David Bates spoke to the media today ahead of Sunday's Old Firm match. pic.twitter.com/qI6m4icLX4
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) March 8, 2018
Since the Celtic Park draw at the end of December, rangers have won nine out of ten games, while Celtic have won eight of 11 – Gers bagging 33 goals in that time while the Bhoys have netted 20.
Brendan Rodgers then will go into an Old Firm clash under some pressure for the very first time as if Graeme Murty’s men get the job done it would set alarm bells ringing around Celtic.
Make no mistake that Celtic are still the team to beat, they’re still going for back-to-back trebles, but the fact Rangers played cheered being draw against them in the Scottish Cup semi-finals indicates they think they’re able to now take on Scotland’s pace setters.
Josh Windass is 11/4 to score in 90 minutes
Added to that is the sense that Rangers are a team on the up, brimming with confidence and in Josh Windass have a striker on top of his game – he’s bagged 10 goals in eight matches including two hat-tricks.
Celtic don’t have such a confident aura about them despite still winning games, they have obviously not been able to maintain the blistering form of last season, but the likes Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair have not been as sharp as they had been.
🏆⚽️| #RivalsWeekend - FINAL
— SPFL (@spfl) March 7, 2018
With 65% of the vote, @CelticFC's Moussa Dembele is the clear winner!
Tag a Celtic fan that needs to see this again! pic.twitter.com/5YCKyh4NRk
Celtic still remain huge 1/100 favourites to land a seventh title, but with a win at Ibrox on Sunday will be a real statement of intent that Rangers are back as serious contenders if not this season then next.
Perhaps telling is that Rodgers has tried to put the pressure on Rangers by claiming it’s a must-win game for them in the title challenge – a challenge they’ve not been remotely involved in for years.
Rodgers has not lost in eight games against Rangers since taking over in 2016 and has won three out of three at Ibrox.
"Rangers need to win the game and that's the difference, there is a different psychology going into it, in relation to that,” said Rodgers, who has won three from three at Ibrox.
"For them, they must win the game."
The gap would be down to three points with a Rangers win, although Celtic have a game in hand, but more importantly it could be a pointer that we’ll have a genuine Old Firm rivalry once again.
