HP Terbaru 2023 – Pressure ramps on the Old Firm ahead of title-race-defining meeting

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By Neel Shelat

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Draws continuing to cost Rangers

Rangers have the fewest losses in the Scottish Premiership this season with just two — both against Hearts — yet they currently find themselves four points off the top of the standings. The main reason behind that is the fact that only one other team in the division has drawn more matches than the 55-time Scottish champions, who have been forced to share the spoils on 11 occasions thus far.

Danny Röhl’s side have dropped points in this fashion in three of their last five league games, all away against Hibernian, Livingston and Motherwell. As a result, another draw will likely feel like two points lost rather than one gained, even in this fixture.

Martin O’Neill’s side starting to feel the pressure

Celtic’s season so far has been topsy-turvy, to say the very least. Martin O’Neill’s spells in charge have been a source of solidity and consistency, but the slow start under Brendan Rodgers as well as Wilfried Nancy’s miserable month in charge in the middle have put the defending champions in a tough spot.

The Bhoys are currently six points behind the league leaders, though they do have a game in hand. A run of six wins and a draw since O’Neil’s return brought them right back into the mix with the table-toppers, but recent results have not gone their way. They lost to Hibernian in their last Premiership match between a Europa League elimination at the hands of Stuttgart. On the bright side, that does free them up to fully focus on domestic matters.

Team news

Rangers only have a couple of major absences to contend with. Defenders Dujon Sterling and Derek Cornelius are out, as are young midfielders Connor Barron and Bailey Rice.

Celtic, on the other hand, will be without the suspended Auston Trusty as well as injured defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston, midfielder Arne Engels, and forward Jota. Young Adam Montgomery and Callum Osman will also be unavailable.

Key players

In a season where Rangers’ strikers have struggled for form, James Tavernier has been their top attacking contributor. Five of his seven league goals have come from the penalty spot, though he has also set up four others. Nicolas Raskin is the team’s top creator with five assists and will have a big role to play in midfield, while lively young winger Djeidi Gassama could produce a game-changing moment with his dribbling.

Benjamin Nygren is the league’s joint top-scorer with 14 goals, with none of his Celtic teammates managing to better even half that tally. Daezen Maeda registered three goal involvements in Old Firm fixtures last season but has yet to get on the scoresheet against Rangers this term, so this would be a fine time for it. Kieran Tierney will have an important role to play going both ways on the left flank.

Prediction

Neither team is in top form with both defences looking unreliable in recent weeks, so a score draw seems the most likely result. The real winner, in such a case, would be league leaders Hearts.

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(Cover image from IMAGO)

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