This Old Firm derby carries more than the usual rivalry. Both clubs are under unusual strain, but for different reasons.
Rangers entered this period with heavy boardroom activity. Owner Andrew Cavenagh answered supporters by removing a manager, a chief executive and a sporting director, then backed the squad with millions in the January window on top of a large summer spend. There is a clear structure now, a visible manager in Danny Rohl and what appears to be boardroom ambition. For many Rangers fans, that reduces the grounds for complaint.
Celtic, by contrast, feel dislocated. Supporters are furious with the board, split over how to express that anger, and conversations on social media have become fractious and draining. The club looks tangled in suspicion and bitterness, and that toxicity is affecting plans on and off the pitch. With no long-term managerial appointment settled and the same decision-makers who brought in Wilfried Nancy still in charge of recruiting, the impression is of a club without a coherent rebuild strategy.
On the field, the headlines have been a soap opera all season. Rangers have had to recover from a poor start but have shown signs of improvement. Celtic have found late, dramatic ways to win — a string of stoppage-time goals has kept them in contention — but many of their victories have come through scrappy, nervy performances rather than dominance.
Injuries and suspensions have compounded Celtic’s problems. Key defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston remain unavailable, and Auston Trusty is suspended. Across 27 league matches they have dropped points in ten. Compared with the same stage last season, Celtic have five fewer wins, five more losses, 28 fewer goals scored and nine more conceded, leaving them 15 points worse off. Twelve months earlier they were comfortably clear at the top and competing well in Europe.
Rangers have slipped as well relative to last season — down three points and three wins — but they have lost three fewer games, scored nine more goals and conceded only one more. After a rocky beginning, clawing back into contention has felt like a second chance.
The pre-match exchanges sharpened the tension. Livingston forward Luke McCowan declared his belief that Rangers are the best team in the country, a statement that drew immediate notice. Danny Rohl fired back, reminding everyone Celtic have lost seven times to Rangers this season compared with Rangers’ two defeats to Celtic, questioning Celtic’s approach in the Stuttgart match and even speculating about who should start in goal — Viljami Sinisalo, who impressed in Germany, or Kasper Schmeichel, whose form has been questioned.
Brendan O’Neill bristled at Rohl’s comments, calling them extraordinary and reminding the young coach he is new to Glasgow. The exchange added heat to a fixture already heavy with consequence.
Beyond pride, both clubs face genuine threats from teams below them; Hearts and Motherwell are pressuring the Old Firm in a way unfamiliar to many supporters. Talk and barbs will not decide the outcome. At Ibrox on Sunday, both sides need a win — not just to claim derby bragging rights, but to steady fractious seasons and offer supporters something to believe in.