Steven Gerrard’s side go chasing a third successive home win in the Glasgow derby on Sunday
Rangers meet Celtic at Ibrox in the 2019-20 season’s first Old Firm match this weekend.
Both Glasgow sides were left celebrating in midweek as they won through to the group stages of the Europa League in contrasting fashion.
Neil Lennon’s side cruised through with a convincing 4-1 win over AIK in Stockholm, while Rangers needed a last-gasp Alfredo Morelos goal to dispatch Legia Warsaw and seal a spot in the pools for the second successive season.
Will the feel-good factor around Steven Gerrard’s men continue, or will their neighbours spoil the party?
| Game | Rangers vs Celtic |
| Date | Sunday, September 1 |
| Time | 12 noon BST / 7:00am ET |
In the United States (US), the game will be available to stream on B/R Live.
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| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| n/a | B/R Live. |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be available to watch on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football. It can be streamed via Sky Go Extra.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football | Sky Go Extra |
| Position | Rangers squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | McGregor, Foderingham, Firth |
| Defenders | Goldson, Helander, Katic, Edmundson, Barisic, Tavernier, Flanagan, Polster |
| Midfielders | Kamara, Halliday, King, Arfield, Davis, Jack, Dorrans, Holt, Docherty, Aribo |
| Forwards | Murphy, Jones, Hastie, Dodoo, Ojo, Grezda, Morelos, Defoe, Stewart |
Confirmed Rangers XI: McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Katic, Flanagan; Jack, Davis, Kamara; Aribo, Arfield; Defoe
| Position | Celtic squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Gordon, Bain, Forster |
| Defenders | Jullien, Hendry, Simunovic, Bolingoli, McInroy, Ralston, Welsh, Ajer, Miller, Bauer |
| Midfielders | Bitton, Brown, Sinclair, Morgan, Ntcham, Connell, McGregor, Forrest, Rogic, Christie, Hayes |
| Forwards | Griffiths, Bayo, Johnston, Shved, Edouard, Sinclair, Elyounoussi, Afolabi |
Confirmed Celtic XI: Forster; Elhamed, Jullien, Bitton, Bolignoli; Brown, McGregor; Forrest, Christie, Johnston; Odouard
Rangers go into the game as 13/10 faovurites with bet365 . Celtic are priced at 21/10 while the draw is on offer at 11/5.
Click here to see all of bet 365’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Rangers and Celtic both head into the opening Old Firm game of the season at Ibrox on Sunday in buoyant mood.
The two Glasgow giants produced impressive performances in midweek to move through into the Europa League group stages, the Gers creating history by doing so as they became the first club to negotiate every qualifying round to reach that point in successive seasons.
Although manager Steven Gerrard has previously said that the board of the Ibrox club have set Europe as their main goal, unseating eight-time defending Scottish champions Celtic must be to the forefront of their plans, too.
Rangers have shown that they mean business this term, winning all three of their opening league fixtures while juggling their European commitments, yet they find themselves trailing their rivals on goal difference.
If Celtic have looked vulnerable at the back, they have been prolific going the other way, scoring an impressive 15 goals.
They have not, however, netted on either of their last two trips to Ibrox, where they have suffered successive defeats.
Neil Lennon, however, is optimistic that his side have the potential to end that run and reassert their dominance over their neighbours.
“We are in powerful form, particularly going forward,” he said. “The defence is looking like players are getting up to speed with how we play and more familiar with their surroundings.
“I’d be delighted to keep a clean sheet. I’d fancy our chances to nick a goal or two.
“We have a lot to look forward to going into the game.”
Gerrard, meanwhile, is bullish about the hosts’ chances amid a surge of confidence in the blue half of the city.
“I think when I first came in there was a fear of Celtic,” he said. “The supporters, I also predict some of the players, feared these fixtures. I think over the course of the 12 months we’ve proved that is no longer the case and on our day we’re a good match for Celtic.
“It was always going to take time to close that gap but I think the fixture last year, the Christmas one where we beat them 1-0, lifted a lot of fear and gave us a lot of confidence and belief that, if we find the right level of performance, we are a match for anyone, certainly at Ibrox.
“That’s what gives us confidence going into this fixture.”
With the international break looming, a victory would be a huge shot in the arm for either side.