Rangers F.C. need all of their stars to perform against their rivals if they want all three points at Celtic Park.
Saturday marks the most important game of the season (so far) for Rangers and Celtic. With one-third of the season nearly in the books, the Scottish giants are only separated by one point at the top of the table, although Rangers do have a game in hand.
Both teams are undefeated through Matchweek 10, but that is expected to change this weekend seeing that the last time these teams shared the points in a game was back in December of 2017, which was a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park.
With more COVID-19 testing taking place, and a few injuries also being monitored on both sides, it is difficult to predict the lineups for this massive clash. One thing is for certain, though, Steven Gerrard will need his main trio composed of Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, and James Tavernier to be at their best on Saturday.
The dynamic trio have twelve goals and five assists to their names through ten games this season, and fans will be hoping they can carry that good run of form into Saturday’s derby. One other key player who could be a difference-maker at Celtic Park for Rangers is Ianis Hagi.
The Romanian international is not finding the back of the net as often as Gerrard and fans would like, but he is making up for it with his playmaking abilities in the final third. With five assists through ten games, Hagi leads the Scottish top flight in that category.
Kent is expected to attract most of the attention defensively on Saturday due to his technical abilities that allow him to cut inside and get good looks at goal, but Rangers would receive a major boost if Hagi can successfully orchestrate some meaningful attacks up the middle.
Morelos is also seeking his first Old Firm goal, and Hagi’s recent form indicates that he is the man capable of helping his Colombian teammate to reverse that trend.