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Rangers will welcome reigning champions and arch-rivals Celtic to the Ibrox Stadium in their Scottish Premiership showdown on Sunday.
After a shock 1-0 defeat in their campaign opener, the hosts have recorded two wins in a row, including a 2-0 away triumph at Ross County last week. First-half goals from James Tavernier and Kemar Roofe four minutes apart were enough for them to seal the win.
The visitors have enjoyed an unbeaten start to their league campaign and dropped points for the first time in three games as they were held to a goalless draw by St. Johnstone last week. They failed to score for the second game in a row, having been eliminated from the Scottish League Cup by Kilmarnock 1-0 in the second round two weeks ago.
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The hosts suffered a 5-1 defeat against PSV in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League playoffs on Wednesday and will now play in the UEFA Europa League. Captain James Tavernier bagged the consolation goal for Rangers while Connor Goldson was at fault for conceding an own goal.
Rangers vs Celtic Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The Old Firm rivals have squared off 436 times in all competitions. The hosts have a narrow lead in the head-to-head record with 169 wins. The visitors have significantly narrowed the hosts' advantage in recent years and have 165 wins to their name. 102 meetings between them have ended in draws.
- The hosts have just one win in their last seven meetings against the visitors, with that win coming at home in the Premiership second phase in May.
- The hosts have the joint-best defensive record in the league, conceding just once in three games while the visitors have the joint-best attacking record, scoring seven goals in three games.
- At the Ibrox, Rangers are unbeaten in their last 22 league games, recording 19 wins. Their last home loss in the Premiership came against Celtic in April 2022.
Rangers vs Celtic Prediction
The Gers suffered a mid-week defeat in the Champions League playoffs, which might be somewhat acceptable for the fans, as the hosts will still play in the Europa League. What the Ibrox faithful will not stand for is a poor performance against the visitors, who beat Rangers to the league title by seven points last season.
The hosts are unbeaten at the Ibrox this season, recording three wins in four games in all competitions. They have conceded just one goal thus far, so they will look to count on their defensive prowess in this match as well.
The Bhoys have seen a drop in form recently, with a draw and a loss in their last two games. Brendan Rodgers' men have failed to score in these games as well. Though they have enjoyed the upper hand in recent meetings against the hosts, they have recorded just one win in their last seven trips to the Ibrox.
Considering the form of the two teams and recent history, the match is expected to be contested closely, but the hosts should eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Rangers 2-1 Celtic
Rangers vs Celtic Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Rangers to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: James Tavernier to score or assist any time - Yes
