Celtic vs Rangers preview

Scotland flag 2025/2026 Premiership, Scotland
Celtic Park Sun, 10 May - 11:00 AM
Premiership
CelticCEL
RangersRAN
KICKOFF : Sun, 10 May - 11:00 AM
Round 36 2nd Phase

CONTEXT

Celtic welcomes Rangers to Celtic Park for a pulsating Old Firm derby in the Premiership's 2nd Phase of the 2025/2026 season. The hosts boast a power score of 78.41, narrowly ahead of Rangers' 76.75, translating to a 1.7-point advantage that underscores Celtic's status as the stronger side. Form metrics further tilt towards Celtic with 35.78 against Rangers' 25.06, hinting at momentum in their camp. Intriguingly, both clubs share 3rd place in the domestic standings, ramping up the pressure for points. Absent recent outing details, focus shifts to tactical setups and player freshness. Set piece analysis draws from low-confidence proxies amid unavailable xG data, yet this fixture's history promises intensity. Home support could amplify Celtic's edge in a match primed for drama and quality.

TL;DR

  • Structural: Celtic holds a 1.7-point power advantage with scores of 78.41 over Rangers' 76.75.
  • Form: Celtic's form score stands at 35.78, surpassing Rangers' 25.06.
  • Squad: Both teams currently occupy 3rd position in the Premiership.
  • Efficiency: Efficiency data remains unavailable for this fixture.
  • Transition: Transition play metrics are not provided in available statistics.
  • Set pieces: Set piece performance uses low-confidence proxies due to absent xG data.
  • xVariable: xG variables lack availability for both attacking and defensive phases.
  • Market: Celtic 47.9% (Δ+0%) | Draw 24.9% (Δ+0%) | Rangers 27.3% (Δ+0%).
No standings statistics available.
No head-to-head records found.
0.5+ goals: 85%
1.5+ goals: 70%
2.5+ goals: 50%
3.5+ goals: 25%
Confidence: High (≥8 matches)

Quality vs Volume

Home: xG 1.8, Shots 12, xG/Shot 0.15
Away: xG 1.5, Shots 14, xG/Shot 0.11

Open Play vs Set Play

Open Play: 65%
Set Play: 35%

Expected Points

TeamxPts
Home1.8
Away1.2
ℹ️ Methodology: Expected Goals (xG) measures shot quality
Jan 25 vs Team A
Feb 1 vs Team B
Feb 8 vs Team C
Celtic M. O'Neill
M. O'Neill
VS
Rangers D. Röhl
D. Röhl
2.08
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
2.13
2.5 i
Last 6 Opponents
Hibernian Rank: 68 W
Falkirk Rank: 65 W
St. Mirren Rank: 55 W
Dundee Rank: 59 W
Dundee United Rank: 61 L
Motherwell Rank: 67 W
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
2 i
Last 6 Opponents
Hearts Rank: 74 L
Motherwell Rank: 66 L
Falkirk Rank: 66 W
Dundee United Rank: 61 W
Aberdeen Rank: 60 W
St. Mirren Rank: 55 W
28
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
28 - 14 - 23
23
No sidelined player data available.

Win Probabilities

Live Win Probability (90 Min)
Home Celtic
47.88%
Draw
24.87%
Away Rangers
27.25%

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power ranking is SportMonks' model-based team strength indicator. Historical input capped to 2 seasons.
78.41
76.75
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
Celtic
Rangers
Power Score
78.41
76.75
League Position
3
3
Global Rank
75
91

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Line chart of recent results (points/trend). Friendlies excluded by default. Hover for opponent, result, xG/xGA and power ranking — based on last 6 matches.

–
vs
Celtic — Opponent-weighted form score
Rangers — Opponent-weighted form score
Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) Celtic Rangers

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

Summary of 65 matches between these sides — filtered by competition and venue context.

Celtic CEL Home
65 matches
Rangers RAN Away
Match Record
28
Wins
23
14
Draws
14
23
Losses
28
Goals
97
Goals Scored
81
81
Goals Conceded
97
+16
Goal Difference
-16
Expected Goals
0
xG
0
0
xGA
0

Data last updated: 2026-05-10T00:05:56+00:00

STARTING XI - EXPECTED

Match Formation 4-2-3-1
Match Formation 4-3-3
Pitch
J. Butland
1 J. Butland
D. Sterling
21 D. Sterling
E. Fernandez
37 E. Fernandez
N. Djiga
24 N. Djiga
J. Tavernier
2 J. Tavernier
T. Chukwuani
42 T. Chukwuani
N. Raskin
43 N. Raskin
M. Diomande
10 M. Diomande
M. Moore
47 M. Moore
Y. Ramalho Chermiti
9 Y. Ramalho Chermiti
A. Olsen
7 A. Olsen

General Information

Date & Time
May 10, 2026, 11:00 AM
Competition
2025/2026 Premiership, Scotland · Round 36 · 2nd Phase
Stadium
Celtic Park
Capacity
60411
Pitch Surface
Grass
Weather
☀️ 12°C, Fair
Referees
Matthew McDermid
N. Walsh
Frank Connor
Daniel McFarlane

Expected Lineup

Referee : N. Walsh

Starting XI ▼

12
Viljami Sinisalo
Viljami Sinisalo Goalkeeper
6.67
38
Daizen Maeda
Daizen Maeda Centre Forward
6.88
42
Callum McGregor
Callum McGregor Defensive Midfield
7.13
5
Liam Scales
Liam Scales Left Back
7.08
27
Arne Engels
Arne Engels Defensive Midfield
6.91
6
Auston Trusty
Auston Trusty Right Back
6.99
63
Kieran Tierney
Kieran Tierney Left Back
7.25
13
Hyun-jun Yang
Hyun-jun Yang Left Wing
6.97
8
Benjamin Nygren
Benjamin Nygren Attacking Midfield
7.4
2
Alistair Johnston
Alistair Johnston Right Back
7.37
23
Sebastian Tounekti
Sebastian Tounekti Right Wing
6.89
Referee : N. Walsh

Starting XI ▼

1
Jack Butland
Jack Butland Goalkeeper
6.87
9
Youssef Chermiti
Youssef Chermiti Centre Forward
7.1
7
Andreas Skov Olsen
Andreas Skov Olsen Attacker
7.04
47
Mikey Moore
Mikey Moore Attacker
6.83
37
Emmanuel Fernandez
Emmanuel Fernandez Left Back
7.26
2
James Tavernier
James Tavernier Right Back
7.4
10
Mohamed Diomandé
Mohamed Diomandé Central Midfield
6.78
43
Nicolas Raskin
Nicolas Raskin Central Midfield
7.32
42
Tochi Chukwuani
Tochi Chukwuani Central Midfield
6.86
21
Dujon Sterling
Dujon Sterling Left Back
6.86
24
Nasser Djiga
Nasser Djiga Right Back
6.95

CONCLUSION

Celtic's superior power rating and form score position them favorably in this storied rivalry, yet Rangers' competitiveness ensures no easy path. Sharing league spots heightens urgency, with Celtic Park's atmosphere likely influencing proceedings. Limited set piece and efficiency insights mean execution on the day decides outcomes. Anticipate a fiercely contested battle where Celtic's home strength and recent edge could secure vital points in the 2nd Phase push.