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30 min: Sterling intervenes in the Rangers area to brush away a low cross, the Celtic attack ending with a blast from range that sails high. It’s been a frustrating first half-hour for the league leaders, one where they’ve looked a touch sloppy at the back.
28 min: Diomande gets a hold of the ball in the middle and looks set to slip in Dessers but overhits his pass.
27 min: So very nearly an own goal! The corner comes in, Balogun heads towards the far post, with Engels nearly diverting the ball into his own net before Schmeichel intervenes.
26 min: Cerny dances into the area and tries to cut back a ball for Diomande but Nawrocki holds his own, blocking the ball out for a corner.
24 min: Tavernier, up by the halfway line, gets in Schlupp’s way before Johnston makes a fine run into the Rangers area, the ball over the top finding him and prompting a corner. Carter-Vickers heads high over the bar from the outswinging corner.
22 min: Johnston is feeling his way into the game out on Celtic’s right, driving forward and looking to cut through the lines with his passing.
19 min: Celtic try and work it around but Rangers are quite ferocious with their pressing, amped up by their lead.
16 min: Oh my, it should be 2-0 to Rangers. Schmeichel, outside his area, misplaces a pass to Cerny who, instead of shooting first-time, tries to dribble into the area and round Schmeichel. The angle for a shot is cut-off and Celtic get away with it, the ball going out for a corner that leads to nothing.
15 min: The game has become a bit stop-start after the fluency of the first 10.
14 min: The ball is stuck on Rangers’ right, throw-ins aplenty.
12 min: … Jota’s inswinger is headed away by Balogun, who was fighting it out with Carter-Vickers.
11 min: It’s all a bit chaotic at the moment. Celtic have a corner from the left …
9 min: Cerny launches an ambitious hit from around 20 yards, the ball falling nicely for a one-bounce effort. It travels wide before Celtic advance forward … and Butland makes a cracking save. Hatate found space just outside the D, trying to curl the ball into the top left corner. It was a fine hit, but Butland moved quickly.
6 min: Celtic finally get moving, Maeda’s first-time shot in the area – the cross coming from the right – travelling wide. The flag was up for offside anyway.
The corner comes in from Tavernier and Raskin leaps high at the front post, guiding his header to the far corner, past Schmeichel. The visiting supporters – back here after some time – are jubilant. Barry Ferguson gets the fist pumps going.
What a start for the visitors!
3 min: Ooooh, top save from Schmeichel, diving to his right to tip round a stinging strike from Raskin. A corner for Rangers …
2 min: Schlupp is into the action again, heading away the corner for a throw-in. Tavernier sends it long, into the area, with Celtic unable to properly get rid. Rangers have another throw …
1 min: Rangers win an early free-kick on the right, with Tavernier and Cerny by the ball. Tavernier whips it in and Schlupp clears out for a corner.
You’ll Never Walk Alone rings out. Rangers kick things off. Let’s play!
Right, just a few minutes away from getting going. Celtic Park awaits.
Simon McMahon is only using this as a starter.
Celtic Rangers is always an, eh, occasion. Hoping for a few
red cardsgoals today to whet the appetite for the main event at 3 o’clock at Tannadice, the days proper derby between Europe chasing Dundee United and relegation chasing Dundee…
Barry Ferguson has been speaking to his old teammate Kris Boyd: “There’ll be no excuses in terms of, ‘There was a game on Thursday, I’m feeling a bit leggy’. I’ll talk to them. And if anybody has got any doubt in their mind they won’t be playing. I need people who are 100% focused. You’re never 100% fit going into a game but I need guys who are basically going to go to war.”
It’s a serious fitness test for Rangers, with 10 starters present from Thursday night. Nick Ames was there to take it in.
We have our XIs. Celtic are without their injured captain Callum McGregor and missing Auston Trusty at the back, too. In come Maik Nawrocki and Luke McCowan. Rangers have just one change from midweek: Ridvan Yilmaz replaces Jefté.
Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki, Schlupp, McCowan, Engels, Hatate, Jota, Kühn, Maeda
Subs: Sinisalo, Taylor, Idah, Yang, Kenny, Murray, Ralston, Bonnar, Turley
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Souttar, Balogun, Ridvan, Sterling, Barron, Raskin, Diomande, Cerny, Dessers
Subs: Kelly, Pröpper, Lawrence, Bajrami, Nsiala, Igamane, Hagi, Rice, Danilo
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to our coverage of a highly significant Old Firm clash. Visiting supporters will be present, a resolution found over the question of ticket allocations. Around 2,400 Rangers fans will roar at Celtic Park this afternoon.
But this is no title clash. Celtic are way out in front, 16 points ahead of their rivals, Brendan Rodgers eyeing up another domestic treble. Rangers, though, still have the excitement of Europe, through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League after Jack Butland’s heroism against Fenerbahce on Thursday evening. That adrenaline, presumably still pumping, will have to make up for the fatigue of playing through extra time.
And then there’s the Barry Ferguson element, the old captain turned manager, ready for the heat that’ll come his way on the touchline, 16 years on from his last runaround in this fixture. It’ll be fun. Kick-off’s at 12.30pm GMT.
