Search Icon
Celtic vs Rangers - Free Football Prediction - September 20, 2026

Celtic vs Rangers – Free Football Prediction – September 20, 2026

Celtic vs Rangers: six wins from six in the league, two straight defeats in all competitions Scottish Premiership

Celtic have won all six of their opening Scottish Premiership games. No points dropped, top spot secure.

But the table flatters them a bit. The Bhoys are actually on a run of two straight defeats in all competitions.

Rangers sit five points behind in second and arrive with the wind in their sails: seven wins from their last eight under Derek McInnes.

The last Old Firm was played just last week. Rangers hammered Celtic 3-0 at Ibrox in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals.

There is one twist changing the mood this season: away fans are banned from every Old Firm. Celtic Park will be all green and white.

Kick-off is set for Sunday 20 September at 13:00 Paris time at Celtic Park.

Top against second, unbeaten in the league against winners of the last derby: it is not often an Old Firm in September throws up this many mixed signals.

The European picture makes it even heavier. Celtic missed out on the Champions League and have already lost their opening Europa League game.

Rangers are out of Europe too, knocked out of the Europa League and then beaten by Jablonec in the Conference League play-off. Both clubs now have the league and nothing else.

Five points separate the two sides in the standings. A Rangers win would cut that gap to two before the international break.

Celtic, a perfect Premiership record that hides plenty Celtic

Six games, six league wins. Dundee, Kilmarnock, Falkirk, Aberdeen, St Mirren and St Johnstone have all been beaten.

The 5-1 win at Rugby Park remains their best performance of the season. The other victories have been far tighter, with four decided by a single goal.

Europe told a very different story. Celtic were dumped out of the Champions League play-off by LASK Linz, losing 5-1 in the second leg and 5-4 on aggregate.

Their last two matches hammered that home. A 3-0 defeat at Ibrox, then a 3-1 loss at home to Ferencvaros in their Europa League opener.

Both setbacks came from the same issue: individual mistakes in defensive areas, punished straight away.

Martin O’Neill will have to cope without Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Jota, all sidelined through injury. Yang Hyun-jun has gone to the Asian Games with South Korea.

There should be plenty of rotation after the European game. Benjamin Nygren and Kasper Høgh are expected to start up front, with Tony Ralston and Auston Trusty at the back.

The schedule has not done the Bhoys any favours. They played in the Europa League on Wednesday night, just three days before taking on their oldest rivals.

Callum McGregor remains the midfield anchor, with Cameron Carter-Vickers the leader of the centre-back pairing. Around them, at least four changes are expected.

That 5-1 defeat at LASK Linz is still the biggest warning sign of the year. Celtic were in control of the tie before that collapse in the return leg.

$0.99
7-day trial
Full Pro access.
Try it for $0.99.
Picks · Injury reports · Trends · Tools · No ads — no commitment

Rangers head to Celtic Park on a five-game winning run Rangers

Rangers did not win any of their first four games of the season. The Europa League exit was part of that mess.

Then the switch flipped. Seven wins from the next eight, with only a 1-0 loss at Jablonec in the Conference League play-off spoiling the run.

Their last five matches have all ended in victory. Aberdeen, Falkirk, Motherwell, St Mirren and Celtic have all been brushed aside in order.

The 3-0 thrashing of the Bhoys last week is the standout result in that streak. Kevin Kelsy got on the scoresheet and should keep his place up top.

The league is still the problem, though. A draw at Dundee United and a 2-1 home defeat to Hibernian account for those five points they are chasing.

Derek McInnes is without captain Lawrence Shankland, who has a hamstring issue, and long-term absentee Youssef Chermiti after an ACL injury.

History is also against the Gers: just two wins in their last 12 visits to Celtic Park, and no away fans in the stands this time.

McInnes is expected to name the same side that won at Ibrox. No changes are planned, which tells you plenty about his faith in the group.

Two returns are even possible on the bench. Tuur Rommens and Jose Cifuentes are both back from injury and could be included in the squad.

Kevin Kelsy stays as the focal point in Shankland’s absence. The scorer of the last Old Firm is still McInnes’s first-choice option in attack.

Probable Celtic line-up: Johnstone ; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Scales ; McGregor, Baur ; Hassan, Nygren, Duran ; Høgh

Probable Rangers line-up: Pandur ; Sterling, Fernández, Makhanya, Penrice ; Raskin, Neil ; Naderi, Kim, Gassama ; Kelsy

Football prediction Celtic vs Rangers

Our prediction: Rangers double chance (draw or Gers win)

Rangers have just beaten Celtic 3-0 with the same core and the same scorer, Kevin Kelsy. The current balance of power is clear, and McInnes should leave it alone.

Celtic go into the derby on the back of two straight defeats and a European match on Wednesday, with four players unavailable including Jota and Alistair Johnston.

Celtic Park is still a stronghold, and that is exactly why we are not backing an away win outright. Rangers should leave Glasgow with at least a point.

The ban on away supporters removes a valuable lift for Rangers. It did not stop them dominating the last Old Firm, though, played in the same conditions at Ibrox.

MathODDS App
Your picks,
in your pocket.
Predictions · Trends · Tools · Injury reports
Real-time notifications & alerts
★★★★★

_________

Before anything else, a word on our free predictions

  • What we publish on mathodds is analysis, nothing more. We share an opinion, a read on the moment, but never a guarantee. Sport is what it is: unpredictable. A red card, an injury, a goal from nowhere… and the whole script changes.
  • Let’s be clear: there is no such thing as a risk-free bet. Even when something looks “obvious”, it never really is. And yes, that means you can lose. In fact, sooner or later, you will.
  • The best approach is to stay sensible. Bet small, set a budget and stick to it. Do not touch money you need for day-to-day life. And whatever you do, do not chase losses. That rarely ends well.
  • A bet should stay a game, not a job or a source of income. If it starts taking over your day, if it frustrates you or puts you under pressure, take a break. If needed, speak to a specialist organisation. That is what it is there for.
  • At the end of the day, the responsibility is yours. Reading our content means accepting that risk exists and will never disappear, even with the best analysis in the world.
  • Important reminder: betting is forbidden for minors and must comply with the law in your country. Gambling can spiral fast (money losses, family tension, addiction). Need Help? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. In the UK? Visit https://www.gambleaware.org/https://www.gambleaware.org/.

No commitment from us

Our predictions are not a contract. They have no legal force. In plain English: you cannot use them to demand anything if a bet goes wrong.

Fast-moving information

A prediction is always based on what we know when it is written. But in the meantime, a team sheet changes (like Celtic’s, for example), a player gets hurt, the weather turns nasty… and the analysis can quickly go stale. We cannot be held responsible for that.

Your role

Before betting, simply check that betting is legal where you are. If it is not, that is your responsibility, not ours.

Responsible gambling first

We cannot say it enough: gamble in moderation. If you struggle to stay in control, do not wait to seek help. We cannot be responsible for compulsive or excessive use of the information published on the site.

Legal age

mathodds content is aimed only at adults. By browsing here, you confirm that you are old enough to bet under the law.

About the visuals…

The Celtic and Rangers images and logos used on mathodds, including those linked to the Scottish Premiership, are there only to illustrate our articles. They do not mean we have an official link with any federation or sports body, and we do not claim any rights over them.

Those rights belong to the original creators. If, despite our checks, any visual causes an issue, contact us: it will be removed without delay.

Our only aim with these images is to make reading a bit better. Nothing more. No commercial gain, no taking credit for someone else’s work.

Author

  • MathODDS logo

    The MathODDS editorial team brings together passionate experts in sports, statistics, and sports betting.

    Every day, our team breaks down the latest news, odds, and trends to deliver reliable analysis, well-argued predictions, and advice tailored to both beginner and experienced bettors.


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *