Celtic may not have officially won the Scottish Premiership but as they host rivals Rangers at Celtic Park on Sunday, it’s a matter of when, not if Brenden Rodgers’ side will win the league. Celtic are currently 16 points clear of Rangers in second and it has never been more evident that there’s Celtic’s league and the rest of the league. Even in the Old Firm, one of soccer’s most historic rivalries, things have become one-sided with Celtic winning seven of the last 10 meetings between the two sides.
Celtic has won three straight matches in the league while Rangers have had a small break from league play due to facing Fenerbahce in the Europa League round of 16 where they advanced to the quarterfinals. That will give Rangers some confidence heading into the match but it also means that Barry Ferguson’s team will be on short rest.
Ahead of Concacaf Nations League play, extra eyes will be on Celtic with their defense featuring two Americans in Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty alongside Canadian Alistair Johnston. They’ll depart for international duty after the match but focus will be firmly on taking down Rangers before representing their countries.
Here are our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Sunday, March 16 | Time: 8:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Celtic Park – Glasgow, Scotland
- TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Celtic -140; Draw +250; Rangers +330
Storylines
Celtic: A win can move Celtic one step closer to clinching the league title in what has been a successful season. While they would’ve liked to knock Bayern Munich out of Champions League play, making it to the play-in stage is a success for the Scottish side. Now it’s time to avoid banana peels and grab yet another victory over their rivals.
Celtic predicted XI: Kasper Schmeichel, Jeffrey Schlupp, Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston, Reo Hatate, Callum McGregor, Arne Engles, Adam Idah, Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Gerrit-Kuhn
Rangers: Even when Rangers have been able to emerge with victories lately in this rivalry, they haven’t been able to do so at Celtic Park. While it’s unlikely that they’ll get an upset here, the joy of advancing in Europa League and toppling Jose Mourinho is something that could add a little extra motivation at the home of their rivals. A main goal will be avoiding injuries though considering Rangers are almost assured to finish second in the league unless something drastic happens.
Rangers predicted XI: Jack Butland, Hohn Suouttar, Leon Balogun, James Tavernier, Dujon Sterling, Nicolas Raskin, Tom Lawrence, Jefte, Vaclav Cerny, Mohamed Diomande, Cyiel Dessers
Prediction
Celtic’s attack is too potent to stop on a normal day let alone coming into the match on short rest. Rangers will have a tall task in front of them. Pick: Celtic 3, Rangers 1
