The first Old Firm encounter of the campaign takes place on Sunday at Ibrox, with a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final berth on the line. Rangers will host Celtic in what promises to be a fierce Glasgow derby, followed by a Scottish Premiership meeting across the city just seven days later.
The contrasting form of both sides heading into the fixture tells an intriguing story. Celtic have swept aside all opposition in the league, winning all six of their Premiership matches so far this season. Rangers, by contrast, have recovered from a sluggish opening to claim four consecutive victories and appear to be hitting their stride at precisely the right moment.
Beyond the immediate bragging rights, there is substantial silverware at stake. Rangers have not claimed a domestic trophy since 2024, placing considerable pressure on Derek McInnes and his squad. For Celtic, reclaiming the one domestic honour that slipped through their fingers last season remains a priority, and a cup run beginning with victory at Ibrox would represent a significant statement of intent.
McInnes faces his first Old Firm test in the dugout
McInnes and Martin O'Neill last locked horns in May when the Rangers manager, then in charge of Hearts, suffered a painful defeat in what would prove to be his final match in that role. The 55-year-old is no stranger to high-pressure encounters, having faced Celtic 61 times across his managerial career and emerging victorious on 10 occasions.
As a player, McInnes tasted success in his sole Old Firm appearance wearing a Rangers shirt. However, Sunday will mark his first opportunity to manage in this fixture from the technical area—a significant milestone in his career at Ibrox.
O'Neill, by contrast, brings considerable experience of managing Celtic in one of football's fiercest rivalries. His record against Rangers speaks for itself: across 28 meetings, the Northern Irishman has secured 16 victories, a respectable return that underscores his pedigree in these encounters.
Team selection poses questions for both managers
McInnes faces a significant selection headache in attack following injuries to captain Lawrence Shankland and fellow striker Youssef Chermiti. Ryan Naderi retained his place in the starting XI for Rangers' midweek victory over St Mirren, rewarded for netting the winner against Motherwell after coming on as a substitute when Shankland was forced off.
Naderi completed the full 90 minutes against St Mirren, yet it was substitute Bojan Miovski who broke the deadlock with the match-winning goal. The former Aberdeen striker's impact off the bench raises the question of whether McInnes might elevate him to the starting lineup for such a significant occasion.
Kevin Kelsy, who arrived at Ibrox on deadline day from Portland Timbers for £9 million, made his first competitive start in midweek and will also be in McInnes' thoughts. The American has yet to register a goal in Rangers colours, and the intensity and profile of an Old Firm clash could prove either a baptism of fire or the perfect platform for him to announce himself at his new club.
O'Neill deployed five changes for Celtic's midweek trip to Perth, a tactical decision designed to rest key personnel ahead of Sunday's showdown. Camilo Duran, who has netted six goals already this season, is expected to return to the starting XI after the manager acknowledged that his absence was felt during the St Johnstone encounter.
Duran came on to replace Haissem Hassan and operated on the right flank, while Kasper Hogh, recently recovered from injury, was preferred in the central attacking role. O'Neill must now decide whether to deploy Duran through the middle or keep both attacking talents on the pitch simultaneously at Ibrox.
Cameron Carter-Vickers was rested entirely in midweek after starting every league match to date this season. Dane Murray delivered a solid performance in his absence, yet O'Neill may opt to restore the experience of Carter-Vickers for the derby atmosphere.
In goal, Wolves loanee Sam Johnstone was selected ahead of regular custodian Viljami Sinisalo and produced a crucial save when the score remained goalless at St Johnstone. His clean sheet and commanding display raise the prospect that O'Neill could retain the England international between the sticks for the cauldron of Ibrox.
Ticket allocation and atmosphere
A significant talking point surrounds the attendance arrangements for the 50,000-capacity venue. Rangers will provide Celtic with 300 tickets for the Ibrox tie, a far cry from the previous agreement between the clubs.
Both organisations had previously committed to allocating five per cent of capacity to away supporters for all SPFL fixtures at their respective grounds. However, following on-pitch disturbances between supporters after their Scottish Cup meeting in March and a subsequent independent review, those arrangements were reconsidered and ultimately abandoned for this fixture.
Celtic have visited Govan without their own supporters present on previous occasions and emerged victorious, suggesting that the absence of away backing may not prove as detrimental as some might assume. The Parkhead support will likely approach Sunday's encounter with less anxiety than might otherwise be the case.
What the managers have said
McInnes has emphasised the importance of harnessing the home crowd's energy to create an intimidating environment for the visitors. He acknowledged that Rangers cannot expect to dominate proceedings for the full 90 minutes against such formidable opposition.
I think we've got to bring the crowd with us. You're not going to play Celtic and dominate the game for 90 minutes. We'll have spells, they'll have spells, it's just the way it is.
The Rangers manager stressed that converting opportunities into goals and building a lead would provide the platform for the crowd to exert maximum pressure on Celtic.
I think it's important that we tap into having that 50,000 behind us and be behind the players, support them, have their backs, not be on their backs and really make it as tough for Celtic as possible. We've got our part to play in that and I felt that if we can capitalise on good play and good opportunities, which we didn't do last night and we didn't do against Motherwell, obviously, if we can get ourselves in front, give the crowd something to get behind, then I think the strength of our club can be shown. I think if the 50,000 can be utilised and we can have the strength of performance in the team that will help the team, it will be difficult to stop.
O'Neill expressed mixed emotions about the fixture while acknowledging the unusual circumstances created by the absence of Celtic supporters at Ibrox.
Looking forward to it in the usual way, nervously looking forward to it, excitedly looking forward to it. It's a great fixture. It'll be strange in many aspects not to have any away fans in our area. I always felt as if it would give you a crumb of comfort in some description, but it is what it is.
The Celtic manager revealed that police had conducted a brief meeting with his squad to reinforce behavioural expectations, which he viewed as a timely and constructive reminder.
We had police come in today, just a little 15-minute meeting with us, just reminders of our behaviour, which I think is actually a timely reminder, it's a good thing as well. I think it's the overall picture. Gosh, it'd be nice to have something to celebrate. I think it's just general behaviour from us. The games themselves almost take care of themselves in that sense.
O'Neill reflected on the atmosphere generated at Ibrox during previous encounters, describing it as one of the finest in football.
There's a great atmosphere. The league game that we played, 2-0 down early on in proceedings and Ibrox probably as loud as it's ever been and a really great atmosphere reciprocated by us in the little split game as well too, I thought that was really great. But I just think it'll be a bit strange not having the fans in, but as I say, the atmosphere takes care of itself.
Match details and what comes next
Nick Walsh has been confirmed as the referee for the Old Firm quarter-final, with Daniel McFarlane and Frank Connor as assistants, Kevin Clancy as fourth official, and Andrew Dallas on VAR duty. The match will take place on Sunday 13 September at 12:00 in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals, with the draw for the semi-finals taking place immediately after the match.
Should Rangers progress, they will discover their semi-final opponent within minutes of the final whistle. For Celtic, a victory would represent a significant step towards reclaiming domestic silverware after their disappointing campaign last season, when they reached the League Cup final only to fall short against St Mirren.
The return league meeting between the sides is scheduled for Sunday 20 September at 12:00 PM in the Scottish Premiership, meaning the two Glasgow giants will face each other twice within eight days. That fixture will provide an immediate opportunity for either side to exact revenge should Sunday's cup encounter prove decisive.
