- 1 Rangers vs Celtic: what the numbers say before the Old Firm at Ibrox
- 2 Rangers: four wins in a row built on defence
- 3 Celtic: one defeat, but a European scar
- 4 Football Prediction Rangers vs Celtic
- 5 Before we get into it, a word on our free tips
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information can change
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
Rangers vs Celtic: what the numbers say before the Old Firm at Ibrox
Celtic have not won at Ibrox, the Rangers home ground, in their last six visits. That stat alone sets the scene for Sunday’s Scottish League Cup quarter-final, which kicks off at 13:00.
Both clubs got through the previous round without any real trouble. The Gers battered St Mirren 5-1, while the Bhoys won 4-0 at Dundee United.
The backdrop to this one is unlike anything either side is used to. After the crowd trouble in last season’s Scottish Cup quarter-final, the SPFL has banned away fans from this fixture for the whole season, whatever the competition.
So Celtic head to Ibrox with no support in the stands. That is no small detail in a game where the atmosphere usually matters just as much as the football.
On paper, both teams come in on exactly the same run: four straight wins. But that is where the likeness ends, because the performances have been very different.
Rangers have won their last four matches by a single goal, never once blowing anyone away. Celtic, meanwhile, have lost just once this season, and that defeat knocked them out of the Champions League.
Recent form leans towards the Bhoys, who are unbeaten in the last three meetings. But Celtic’s record at Ibrox tells a very different story from the overall head-to-head.
That is the whole angle here: one team has had the better of the rivalry over time, yet keeps hitting a wall at this ground.
Last season’s Scottish League Cup went to an outsider, with St Mirren lifting the trophy. Neither Rangers nor Celtic managed to hang on to it.
Knockout football shrinks the gap between Glasgow’s big two and the rest, almost by default. It also puts even more emphasis on home advantage, especially in the very specific noise that will greet this one on Sunday.
Rangers: four wins in a row built on defence 
Rangers did not win any of their first four matches of the 2026-27 campaign. Derek McInnes needed a few weeks to settle the side after taking over.
The turnaround has come at the back rather than up front. The Gers are on a four-match winning streak: 1-0 against St Mirren, 1-0 against Motherwell, 2-1 at Falkirk and 0-1 at Aberdeen.
Three clean sheets in those four games are the key stat. None of those wins was by more than one goal, which tells you the attack is still short of the ruthless edge you would expect.
Their European exit still hangs over the squad. After a 1-0 first-leg win over Jablonec, the Scots lost 0-1 in the return leg before going out on penalties in the Conference League play-off.
Bojan Miovski comes in off a late winner against St Mirren and should start up top alongside Ryan Don Naderi. Badredine Bouanani and Djeidi Gassama keep their places out wide.
The injury list is still a mess, with Tuur Rommens, Youssef Chermiti, Jose Cifuentes and Lawrence Shankland all sidelined. Missing Shankland leaves McInnes without his most experienced target man in the box.
Even so, the shape of this game suits what Rangers have been offering over the past month: deep block, few chances given away, one goal often enough. Against a side without its travelling support, that plan looks even more workable.
The previous round showed a very different side, though, with the 5-1 demolition of St Mirren. That is still the only match this season where the Rangers attack really cut loose.
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Celtic: one defeat, but a European scar 
Celtic have won eight of their nine matches in all competitions. The only blemish of the season is one they will not forget in a hurry.
The Bhoys led LASK Linz 4-0 on aggregate in their Champions League play-off. Then they shipped five unanswered goals in the second leg and crashed out 5-4 overall.
The response was immediate and sharp. Four wins followed: 2-1 against Falkirk, 3-0 against Aberdeen, 2-1 at St Mirren and 1-0 at St Johnstone.
Martin O’Neill has a squad that finds the net in every game, unlike the side on the other side of this tie. That sort of attacking consistency is Celtic’s biggest selling point in matches like this.
Kasper Hogh returned in midweek after missing three games with injury and should lead the line. Callum Osmand, Alistair Johnston and Jota are still out.
The issue is a familiar one and not exactly new. Celtic have not won any of their last six visits to Ibrox, with the only consolation being that penalty shootout win in last season’s Scottish Cup.
That record matters even more this season. Without their fans in a hostile ground, Celtic will have to find a way through on football alone.
The 4-0 win at Dundee United in the previous round is a reminder that this team can crank things up away from Celtic Park. But Rangers away is a different test entirely.
Probable Rangers XI: Pandur ; Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice ; Raskin, Neil ; Bouanani, Naderi, Gassama ; Miovski
Probable Celtic XI: Johnstone ; Donovan, Murray, Trusty, Scales ; McGregor, Baur ; Hassan, Nygren, Duran ; Hogh
Football Prediction Rangers vs Celtic
Our tip: Rangers or draw double chance
Six trips to Ibrox without a win is too long to brush off as bad luck. Celtic always seem to lose some of their attacking edge there.
The away-fan ban makes the imbalance even sharper and leaves the Bhoys without their usual lift when the pressure rises. Rangers, at the same time, have built their last four wins on three clean sheets.
Recent head-to-head form points Celtic’s way, with three games unbeaten. But that run has been pieced together mostly away from Ibrox.
So we are taking Rangers or the draw in normal time. A quarter-final played without away support, between two teams both on four straight wins, does not look like a spot for the visitors to stroll through.
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