Rangers take on Celtic this Sunday in the first Old Firm match of the new season, a fixture many hoped would offer Russell Martin’s new-look Gers a chance to lay down a marker.
Instead, fans fear the worst, expecting a defeat that could put the former Southampton boss under immediate pressure.
Rangers have drawn three successive William Hill Premiership matches to start the campaign, while Celtic have won all three. The Hoops already lead their rivals by six points, with the opportunity to extend that to nine on Sunday, potentially extinguishing Martin’s title hopes before September.
Celtic supporters, however, have been far from jubilant. Their UEFA Champions League exit to Kazakh side Kairat Almaty on Tuesday added to frustration over a slow transfer window.
Rangers’ fans have had it much worse: a poor league start overshadowed by a humiliating 9-1 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge, capped by a 6-0 rout in Belgium last night. Last season, Old Firm derbies offered Rangers a reprieve from mediocrity; this year, it may be the final chance to prevent toxicity boiling over.
Last Time Out
The final Old Firm derby of the 2024–25 season ended in a 1-1 draw at Ibrox on Sunday, May 4. Even though Celtic had already secured the league title, the match retained its intensity, with both sides determined to assert dominance in Glasgow’s most storied rivalry.
Rangers took the lead in the 44th minute when Cyriel Dessers capitalized on a defensive lapse. Celtic responded in the 57th minute through Adam Idah, whose initial effort was ruled out for offside but later confirmed by VAR.
The match saw several late chances, including a stoppage-time miss by Daizen Maeda, yet neither team found a winner.
This year, both Idah and Dessers may be absent. Idah is expected to move to Championship side Swansea, while interest in Rangers’ Nigerian striker remains from clubs in Greece and Italy.
Interim Rangers manager Barry Ferguson had chosen not to offer a guard of honor to the newly crowned champions, adding to the charged atmosphere.
The fixture also saw the return of Celtic away fans to Ibrox for the first time since January 2023, provoking tension and the display of offensive banners. Rangers issued a statement condemning the incidents, while a Celtic fan faced charges for mocking the Ibrox disaster.
Kieran Dowell’s Rangers struggles deepen after injury blow
Terms revealed as Bojan Miovski agrees Rangers transfer
6 Takeaways as Brugge leave Rangers black and blue
Looking Ahead
For Rangers, the 1-1 draw extended a seven-game winless streak at Ibrox, a club record. With managerial scrutiny and potential squad changes looming, Martin faces pressure to make a statement on Sunday.
Celtic, having claimed their 55th league title, will aim to continue their momentum and assert their dominance early in the new season as they look to overtake Rangers title haul this season, having equalled it last campaign.
Rangers won the previous two Old Firms prior to May, a 3-0 victory at Ibrox on New Year’s Day followed by a 3-2 triumph at Celtic Park.
A fourth unbeaten league match against their rivals would be a milestone not seen since 2021; failure could spell the end for Martin, who never defeated Celtic as a player and now has no room for error as a coach.