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The last four Old Firms at Ibrox have all been won by Rangers with Celtic losing six of their last seven visits to Govan, winning just once. Having won at Parkhead in February, Celtic are looking for back-t0-back derby victories for the first time since 2019.
Both teams to score is 7/10.
Draw and both teams to score is 10/3.
James Tavernier is 13/2 to break the deadlock and 21/10 to add to his tally of 12 goals this season.
Giorgos Giakoumakis has scored 11 times in 2022. He is 11/2 to open the scoring and 7/4 to score in an Old Firm for the very first time.
Match preview
There are just seven games to go in the Scottish Premiership season so, with the top two neck and neck, it doesn’t get much bigger than this.
So, when the Gers won the first Glasgow Derby of this season back in August, it looked like a second straight Rangers success was a mere formality.
But, three of the last four occasions in which Celtic have lost their first trip to Ibrox in a season, they’ve still gone on to win the league and that could yet continue.
Back in February, a three-goal first half blitz saw the Hoops hammered their rivals at Parkhead, with Ange Postecoglou’s side going top for the first time all season as a result.
In all, Celtic are currently unbeaten in 32 domestic games, winning 28 of them, most recently demolishing Ross County 4-0 a fortnight ago.
This has seen the Hoops claim the League Cup and it leaves them top of the Premiership, three points above their bitter cross-city rivals.
After this, there will be a measly six games to go, one if which is a derby at Celtic Park, so if the Celts win at Ibrox, they’d firmly be in the catbird seat.
But don’t count out Rangers who’ve only lost once under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, albeit that was in that aforementioned derby.
The Light Blues are paying for only winning three of their first eight league games in 2022, subsequently claiming three straight wins.
What’s most notable is the Gers’ Europa League excursions having already knocked out Borussia Dortmund and Crvena zvezda.
This forthcoming Thursday, they’ll travel to Braga for a first European quarter-final since getting all the way to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final.
Domestically, the prize is so great as Scotland’s champions will automatically qualify for the Champions League group stages next season.
For context, this hasn’t been the case since 2010 due to the drastic deterioration in Scotland’s UEFA coefficient ranking which has since shot up again.
These two will meet twice more this season, first in a Scottish Cup semi-final on Easter Sunday before another league meeting following the split.
But, with the current gap as is, the outcome of this derby will surely have a huge baring on who will be hoisting the trophy aloft in May.
Will Rangers draw level on 76 points or can Celtic open up a, possibly, unassailable six-point gap?
Rangers team news
Ianis Hagi is Rangers’ only injury concern with even Aaron Ramsey in contention.
He started a Premiership game for the first time a fortnight ago, equalising at Dens, before also starting Wales’ World Cup play-off four days later.
One guaranteed midfield starter is Joe Aribo who, as well as Leon Balogun and Calvin Bassey were in Nigeria’s XI on Tuesday.
If Balogun does start, he’ll partner Connor Goldson so Filip Helander, who’s header won the August Old Firm, would miss out.
Ryan Kent has scored just three times this season but does have two Old Firm goals to his name.
As does Alfredo Morelos who didn’t score in any of his first 15 derbies before getting that monkey off his back at Parkhead last season.
However, the Colombian seemingly picked up an injury on international duty, meaning either Fashion Sakala or Kemar Roofe will have to come in here.
Celtic team news
The big news from the Celtic camp is that Kyōgo Furuhashi could feature for the first time since scoring at McDiarmid Park on Boxing Day.
He netted 16 times in the first half of the season, including a League Cup Final brace, but has missed all of 2022 so far due to a hamstring injury.
In Kyōgo’s absence, Georgios Giakoumakis has been leading the line, scoring a hat-trick in each of his last two league starts.
Elsewhere, David Turnbull made his first appearance since 15 December in the rout of Ross County following a hamstring injury of his own.
The big decision for Ange Postecoglou to make is who starts in midfield, alongside captain Callum McGregor.
It’ll probably be of Reo Hatate, who netted a brace in the last Old Firm, alongside Matt O’Riley after he made his Denmark U21 debut this week.
Tom Rogic missed Australia’s recent qualifiers injured so it is unknown if he’ll be fit, looking to add to his five goals against Rangers in the past.
Scottish Premiership table:
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