Rangers and Celtic to collide in crucial Old Firm derby

A titanic tussle in the title race awaits at Ibrox this weekend as Rangers and Celtic collide in the Old Firm derby.

Both Glasgow sides are vying to keep pace with Premiership leaders Hearts, who sit four points clear of the Gers and six clear of champions Celtic.

With only ten games remaining in the season, the Old Firm are set to clash in the first instalment of a derby double‑header, before meeting again in the Scottish Cup quarter‑final at Ibrox next weekend.

The importance of three points has not been lost on Rangers head coach Danny Rohl or Celtic boss Martin O’Neill, with Hearts in action on Saturday against Aberdeen.

The Jambos could extend their lead to seven points by the time a ball is kicked at high noon at Ibrox.

Both Glasgow sides’ last league outings dampened spirits, with Rangers clawing back a 2-2 draw at bottom side Livingston while Celtic lost to Hibs at home.

For the Hoops, that was O’Neill’s first domestic loss since returning to the helm following Wilfried Nancy’s disastrous tenure.

That defeat was sandwiched between two Europa League ties against Stuttgart, with a 1-0 win on German soil on Thursday proving insufficient for the Hoops to progress after a heavy first-leg defeat.

Rangers’ resurgence means they are unbeaten domestically since the tail end of last year, and they dented Hearts’ title charge with a 4-2 win at Ibrox earlier this month.

It was a Youssef Chermiti double that helped Rangers sink 3-1 Celtic at Parkhead when the sides last met in January.

That followed the Hoops knocking their rivals out of the Premier Sports Cup last year by the same scoreline.

Their only other encounter this season was a bore draw at Ibrox in August.