Celtic v Rangers: Team news, predictions, stats & odds


Our match pack for Sunday's Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership clash between Celtic and Rangers, including the best manager quotes.

The game kicks off at 1200 GMT at Celtic Park, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.

Celtic v Rangers: Manager quotes   


Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

On Barcelona's comeback against PSG: "Well, I thought our 7-0 didn't look so bad.

"If they can score six against PSG, then it maybe was not as embarrassing as some of you guys said back then.

"They can do that, they did it to us and you see them doing it to one of the richest teams in the world.

"Incredible and what a message for players to be resilient and stick with it. Big quality and big belief from some of the best players in the world." 

On Moussa Dembele: "He is a big-game player, no question of that.

"Having worked with players that have that in big games and seeing that mentality in the biggest games, you can see that he has that.

"He has an inherent belief in his ability but he works hard on a daily basis and that is why he can go into the games with confidence and over the last month in particular he has been clinical.

"Hopefully that can be the case for the weekend." 

On facing Rangers: "The Celtic versus Rangers games I have been involved in so far have been fantastic games and, of course, we have played well in those three games and got a result.

"But we always anticipate a tough game and I am sure this one will be no different." 

Graeme Murty (Rangers)

On potential new manager  Pedro Caixinha: "I think everyone in Glasgow has Googled it.

"We've had a look, I've had a look at numerous different people, but you can't actually control anything about it. It would be a massive waste of energy to be looking at that.

"I have got something fairly large on Sunday to consider." 

Will anything change if Caixinha is at the game?: "It doesn't change.

"I am merely here to make sure the players have the detail on Celtic, have the detail on the occasion, make sure we get all of any extraneous detail out of the way, out of their heads, so they can focus on going and being excellent on the pitch. It's difficult but that's the job. The job is purely to concentrate on the game.

"The players have been in this situation before: there has been no-one at the helm, apart from me. There has still been no-one appointed.

"They just have to make sure they concentrate on what they can control. They have to concentrate on putting themselves forward in a very good light for this football club." 

When asked whether it would be his last game in charge, he said: "I don't know. I actually didn't think I would be here for this one. It is what it is and I've got a smile on my face and looking forward to it." 

Celtic v Rangers: Team news


James Forrest returns to the Celtic squad for the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership clash with Old Firm rivals Rangers at Parkhead on Sunday.

The Hoops winger has recovered from a knee injury which has kept him out the last two matches.

Midfielder Tom Rogic is back in training after having an operation on his ankle but is still some weeks away from featuring.

Rangers are without the suspended Rob Kiernan and Joe Garner.

Forward Garner picked up six league bookings while defender Kiernan failed to overturn his red card against St Johnstone and starts a two-match ban.

Midfielders Jordan Rossiter (calf) and Niko Kranjcar (knee) remain on the sidelines.

Teams

Celtic (from): Gordon, Lustig, Tierney, Gamboa, Izaguirre, Toure, Boyata, Sviatchenko, Simunovic, Forrest, Sinclair, Armstrong, Brown, Bitton, Roberts, Griffiths, Dembele, McGregor, Mackay-Steven, De Vries. 

Rangers (from):  Foderingham, Tavernier, Hodson, Wallace, Hill, Wilson, Halliday, Toral, Hyndman, Holt, Miller, Waghorn, McKay, O'Halloran, Dodoo, Windass, Forrester, Senderos, Alnwick. 

Celtic v Rangers: Opta facts


Celtic have won four of the last five Old Firm derbies in the Scottish Premiership (L1). 

Rangers’ last win at Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership came in October 2010 – they’ve lost five of their last six visits there in the league, including a 5-1 loss in September 2016. 

There are 33 points between Rangers in third position and Celtic at the top, a larger gap than between Rangers and bottom club Inverness (24 points) 

Moussa Dembele has scored in all three matches against Rangers this season (all comps), netting five times. 

Only two teams have ever won the title without losing a single game in the Scottish top-flight – Rangers in 1898-99 and Celtic in 1897-98 (both 18 game seasons). 

The biggest gap between first and second in a Scottish top-flight season was in 2013-14, when Celtic won the league by 29 points. 

Celtic could record a 23rd successive league win with victory in this match. 

Kenny Miller has scored six times in his last seven league outings against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.     


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