Rangers will host arch-rivals Celtic on Saturday afternoon in what could be a title-deciding match between the two teams, with Steven Gerrard's men hoping to continue their excellent form this campaign.
Although the hosts are currently 16 points ahead of their opponents in the Scottish Premiership, the Hoops have three games in hand, and Neil Lennon will be hopeful of delivering Rangers' first loss of the season.
Match preview
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It is no secret that Rangers have endured a highly impressive campaign thus far, having secured 19 league wins and just two draws, with the Gers still unbeaten in the 2020-21 season.
In fact, their only loss in all competitions this term came against St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals just two weeks ago, as Conor McCarthy scored the late winner for his side in extra time.
However, Gerrard was able to gain revenge over Jim Goodwin's men on Wednesday, with Rangers securing a comfortable 2-0 victory, featuring goals from Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos.
This means that they continue to occupy first place in the table, with the Glaswegian outfit currently on 59 points as they enter the second Old Firm derby of the season.
Rangers have also experienced a superb run in the Europa League this campaign, comfortably topping Group D in the competition, which included a 2-0 win over Lech Poznan in their latest European fixture.
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Celtic, on the other hand, have only suffered one league defeat this season - a 2-0 loss against Rangers in the reverse fixture back in October, featuring a brace from Connor Goldson.
However, they have recorded four draws across the season, with the latest one coming against St. Johnstone at the beginning of December.
They were also knocked out of the Europa League around the same period, finishing last in Group H, despite picking up a 3-2 win against Lille in the final group game.
As well as an early European exit, Lennon's men were also knocked out of the Scottish League Cup in November, losing 2-0 against Ross County in the second round of the competition.
That being said, things have improved for the Hoops over the past month, with the side winning the Scottish Cup just before Christmas, beating Hearts on penalties.
They have also secured four league wins on the bounce, including their most recent 3-0 win against Dundee United, and will be keen to continue their impressive winning streak in the match that matters most to the club.
As previously mentioned, the last meeting between the two sides ended in a 2-0 win to Rangers. However, in their previous 10 encounters, Celtic possess the better record - gaining six wins against Rangers' four.
Rangers Scottish Premiership form: WWWWWW
Rangers form (all competitions): WWWWLW
Celtic Scottish Premiership form: WWWWDD
Celtic form (all competitions): WWWWWW
Team News
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Rangers have a few injury concerns heading into this match, with Scott Arfield currently ruled out for the clash against Celtic. The midfielder was forced off during their win against Hibernian last weekend, having picked up an ankle injury.
Gerrard will also be without Ryan Jack, with the 28-year-old currently nursing a muscle injury, while Nikola Katic continues his period on the sidelines.
Morelos is expected to keep his place up front, after netting in their latest win over St Mirren, however Ryan Kent could make his way back into the starting XI.
Meanwhile, Celtic are without James Forrest, with Hatem Abd Elhamed also expected to miss the match.
Christopher Jullien remains doubtful for the upcoming game, after picking up a knee injury in their triumph over Dundee United on Wednesday.
Rangers possible starting lineup:
McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Barisic; Davis, Aribo, Kamara; Hagi, Morelos, Kent
Celtic possible starting lineup:
Barkas; Frimpong, Bitton, Ajer, Taylor; Soro; Christie, Turnbull, McGregor; Griffiths, Edouard
We say: Rangers 2-1 Celtic
It is hard to look past Rangers' spectacular form during the 2020-21 campaign, with the side still unbeaten in the league. Although Celtic have returned to winning ways, we expect the hosts to gain a narrow victory over their arch rivals this Saturday.
Top betting tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Rangers win with a probability of 49.41%. A win for Celtic had a probability of 26.57% and a draw had a probability of 24%.
The most likely scoreline for a Rangers win was 1-0 with a probability of 9.61%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.56%) and 2-0 (8.13%). The likeliest Celtic win was 0-1 (6.69%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.3%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with a 9.6% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 1-0 win for Rangers in this match.
