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Celtic vs Rangers: Rodgers Promises No Old Firm Complacency, But Can He Maintain Dominance?

1 September, 2024 - 12:07PM
Celtic vs Rangers: Rodgers Promises No Old Firm Complacency, But Can He Maintain Dominance?
Credit: 365dm.com

Celtic host Rangers in the first Old Firm of the season in the Scottish Premiership. Celtic defended their title last season under Brendan Rodgers and have made a perfect start to the new campaign with three straight wins. Rangers know defeat at Celtic Park would leave them five points behind the leaders already, but Philippe Clement’s side can go top with a win. Rangers have only won one of their last 12 matches against Celtic and Clement is yet to win any of his four Old Firms in charge.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Celtic vs Rangers?

The match will kick off at 12:30pm BST on Sunday 1 September at Celtic Park.

How can I watch it?

It will be shown live on Sky Sports Football, with coverage starting from 11:30am.

Subscribers can also stream the match via Sky Go, or purchase a pass for NOW TV. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Team news

Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers is fit to feature, while debuts could be handed to Alex Valle, Arne Engles and Luke McCowan. Auston Trusty was signed on deadline day.

Rangers defender Leon Bologun is a doubt while Nico Raskin, Robin Propper, Oscar Cortes and Ridvan Yilmaz are also set to be unavailable.  New signing Neraysho Kasanwirjo is set to be available in the squad.

Predicted line-ups

Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnson, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; Bernardo, McGregor, Hatate; Forrest, Idah, Maeda

Rangers: Butlund; Tavernier, Souttar, Balogun, Jefte; Sterling, Barron; Cerny, Lawrence, Matondo; Dressers

The old trope about form falls down when you factor in Brendan Rodgers as the visitors target changing the status quo.

'Form goes out the window in this one', that's the old cliche pundits often trot out ahead of Glasgow's day of days. And, do you know what? It used to be true.

But that trope falls down when you factor in Brendan Rodgers. The Celtic boss is an outlier and his astonishing record against Rangers changes the rules of a clash between the big two. Yes, form was indeed temporary when old rivalries were renewed but the Irishman has won 14, drawn 3 and lost only once against Rangers. It's proved a game changer.

But this city teaches you nothing is forever, even if Celtic's dominance feels like it's lasted a lifetime for those in light blue and a win for Philippe Clement and Co would be season-altering.

Clement has lost twice on enemy territory and knows a galvanising victory away from home is the type of result which can change perceptions around Rangers in a heartbeat.

Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, McGregor, Bernardo, Hatate, Kuhn, Maeda, Kyogo. Subs: Sinisalo, Trusty, Palma, Idah, Valle, McCowan, Engels, Forrest, Ralston

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Propper, Souttar, Jefte, Sterling, Barron, Diomande, Matondo, Cerny, Dessers. Subs: Kelly, Lawrence, Kasanwirjo, Balogun, Igamane, Raskin, McCausland, Fraser, Danilo.

Join us LIVE for all the team news, build-up and reaction ahead of the big on at Celtic Park.

Rangers win back a bit of possession but they're unable to do much with it.

A loose ball is tidied up out wide by Liam Scales before Dessers tries to play a one-two on the edge of the area that breaks down with Celtic again tidying it up.

Another Bernardo corner is lifted in, this time glanced on from Maeda towards the back post.

No Celtic players are in to attack the ball back there though, allowing Rangers to get rid of it.

A decent chance for someone if they got on at the back post.

Bernardo's corner is met at the front post by the head of Souttar but the hosts win a throw-in; immediately regaining possession.

They're dominating the ball and popping it about unchallenged right now.

It works its way out wide to Kuhn who charges into the box but he is forced to turn and knock it back to Carter-Vickers.

It's been an electric start that has had it all at Parkhead so far.

Two goals - one ruled out by VAR for an offside - and a host of bookings.

No sooner had Rabbi Matondo squandered a golden chance down one end, Celtic broke and had the ball in the net down the other side after a brilliant ball from Nicolas Kuhn which was turned home by Kyogo Furuhashi. However, after a check the goal was ruled out for offside on the winger in the build-up.

But just moments later Daizen Maeda - often the thorn in the Rangers side - nipped in at the back post to fire beyond Jack Butland after a brilliant ball and bit of play from full-back Alistair Johnston.

In the frantic opening stages we've also witnessed a Jefte booking for a late challenge while Johnston and Mohamed Diomande picked up a booking each for an off the ball tussle.

Less than 30 minutes on the clock and plenty more drama to come!

Celtic power forward, cutting right through the middle of the park.

McGregor winds up with the ball on the edge of the area, gives it to Taylor who in turn plays a one-two with Hatate.

The hosts win another corner kick and look like they're ramping up the pressure.

The rhythm of the game has faded a little since Celtic went ahead, it's all went a bit stop-start.

Bookings, injuries, and misplaced passes have broken up the end-to-end football.

John Beaton has now flashed FOUR yellow cards, one of which was to Philippe Clement which shows he's feeling the pressure with his team down.

Jefte was the first player booked for a foul on Nicolas Kuhn. I don't know why John Beaton was pointing around the pitch as it wasn't a totting up yellow card. But the Brazilian is now walking a tightrope.

And then Alistair Johnston and Mohamed Diomande both went into the book for an off the ball incident. It was unnecessary from both players and good game managemment from the referee.

Connor Barron tries a cute turn down in the corner but Kuhn picks the ball off him with ease and floats a deep cross to the back post.

Butland gathers it with ease but that's not what you want from Barron in there if you're a Rangers fan...

Matondo goes down as the ball goes out of play, seemingly injured and looking unlikely to play on.

Tom Lawrence is out to warm up straight away. But no, it's Ross McCausland who is getting ready in the dugout to come on.

Alistair Johnston and Mohamed Diomande both pick up a booking now for an off-the-ball incident.

Alex Rae is then cautioned in the Rangers dugout.

It's all happening now!

Early days in the game and Rangers' Jefte picks up a booking already.

The TV pundits reckon it's a “soft” yellow.

Rangers' Propper slips in the area as the ball was fired across there, which opened up the space for the ball to get to Maeda.

The Celtic man was alert to jump in and batter it past Jack Butland, though.

Daizen Maeda makes it 1-0 to Celtic...again.

Bernardo dinks it down the line for Johnston, he fires it across the box...Maeda pops up at the back post and sweeps it in.

If anything, that disallowed goal has taken a bit of the sting out of the game.

Rangers are knocking it about the back with Celtic waiting to pounce on the press when the opportunity arises.

Souttar tries to bypass the press and knock it long but Carter-Vickers deals with it.

Rangers are relieved there but my initial suspicion was that it was offside and so it proved but it was a hair's breadth.

VAR rule out the goal as Kuhn is judged to have been offside as he broke forward to receive the initial pass.

Wow. What a start at Parkhead.

Kyogo. Who else, eh?

A cutback to the striker from Kuhn and it's swept in by the main man for Celtic after a fast break.

Hold on though, there's a VAR check.

Wow. Matondo has got to score there surely.

Tavernier plays in a typical Tavernier cross from wide right, it falls for Matondo in the box but his header isn't clean and goes wide.

He may have been offside anyway.

Greg Taylor fizzes a ball along the six-yard line that evades everyone in the area. It looked like a textbook Celtic move there, you're waiting for Kyogo to pop up and meet the ball.

Somehow no one is alert to it and Rangers get it clear.

What a chance.

Tavernier plays a through ball to Dessers, freeing him up inside the area and one-on-one with Schmeichel.

He goes to get his shot away but the keeper gathers it well before the flag goes up for offside.

It's fair to say Rangers have made the brighter start to the match.

Rangers are pressing high and pinning Celtic in early doors.

Neil McCann, working on commentary duty for Sky Sports, calls the opening to the game “interesting”.

To say the least, Neil.

Connor Barron went through the back of Kyogo in the first real challenge of the match. Chris Sutton, on Sky Sports, said the Rangers man was lucky to get away with that. John Beaton opting to keep his cards in the pocket. Barron pushed the edge there but not not an early yellow for me.

Celtic win a free kick after Connor Barron flies in on Kyogo.

They take it short, opting against launching it in the box, and continue to build their play in the middle of the park.

A deep inswinging free kick from Cerny finds Propper at the back post.

His header back across goal has too much on it though and it sails over everyone in the middle

Here we go then.

It's time for the first Old Firm of the season. Who will prevail?

Stick with us here to follow all of the action LIVE.

Celtic appear to have forgotten to announce another deadline-day signing...this time it's Christoph Waltz.

The A-lister is in attendance and Parkhead. Hopefully it's an action-packed afternoon.

Here's hoping for a cracker.

Goals, goals, and more goals!

Just over five minutes to go...

Former Rangers striker and Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd has fears over the Ibrox side's defensive derby debutants.

Celtic have caused Rangers all sorts of problems in behind the full-backs in recent derbies. So there is a concern, particularly for the new signings Robin Propper and Jefte.

Celtic vs Rangers: Rodgers Promises No Old Firm Complacency, But Can He Maintain Dominance?
Credit: hesgoal-tv.com
Tags:
Celtic vs Rangers Celtic Rangers Old Firm Scottish Premiership Football
Nneka Okoro
Nneka Okoro

Sports Reporter

Covering sports events and bringing you live updates.

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