On Sunday, Rangers will host Celtic for the first Old Firm derby of the 2025-26 season in the Scottish Premiership, a few days after both teams were knocked out in the Champions League playoffs. Club Brugge eliminated Rangers 9-1 on aggregate while Celtic were eliminated by Kairat Almaty in one of the biggest surprises of the season. The Old Firm is widely considered one of the most anticipated matches of the season due to the rivalry between the two teams based in Glasgow. Rangers started off the new season with three draws in the opening three matches under manager Russell Martin, while Celtic, led by former Liverpool and Leicester head coach Brendan Rodgers, started off the 2025-26 season with three wins in the opening three games of the season. Here’s what you need to know about Sunday’s match:
How to watch Rangers vs. Celtic, odds
- Date: Sunday, Aug. 31| Time: 7 a.m. ET
- Location: Ibrox Stadium — Glasgow, Scotland
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Odds: Rangers +250; Draw +260; Celtic -106
Why is the Old Firm derby so awaited?
The Old Firm derby is one of the most anticipated fixtures of the season due to the intense rivalry between the fanbases of Celtic and Rangers that started a long time ago, when the two sides met for the first time in 1888, and since then, the two teams have dominated Scottish soccer, with more than 100 league titles between them. This is not just a rivalry about the sport, but also about culture, religious and political differences between the two fanbases. Rangers are mainly associated with Protestants and unionists, while Celtic are traditionally supported by Catholic communities with Irish heritage. Both home venues, Ibrox for Rangers and Celtic Park for Celtic, are considered two of the most noisy and passionate atmospheres around European soccer, creating exceptional atmospheres especially with it comes to the most awaited match of the season. On top of that, only six players played for both teams after World War II, but no one has ever moved directly from one club to the other.
Possible lineups
Rangers XI: Jack Butland; James Tavernier, Nasser Djiga, John Souttar, Jayden Meghoma; Joe Rothwell, Nicolas Raskin; Oliver Antman, Mohamed Diomande, Djeidi Gassama; Danilo Pereira.
Celtic XI: Kasper Schmeichel; Tony Ralston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, Kieran Tierney; Paulo Bernardo, Reo Hatate, Arne Engels; Benjamin Nygren, Hyun-jun Yang, Daizen Maeda.
Add Comment