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The squads take the field into the noise, Hampden divided in two into blue and green. To earn the chance to play St Mirren in this stadium this December … the action begins.

Additional Fixtures

Other football: John Brewin offers real-time commentary for the West Ham-Newcastle clash in the EPL; Yara El-Shaboury brings the newest developments from the early kick-offs in the women's top division.

As for us, we're only five minutes away until kick-off at Hampden!

Match Officials

Nick Walsh takes charge today. He also refereed the 2024 cup final featuring these two rivals plus a European fixture the previous campaign when he distributed four dismissals and twelve cautions. Don't cross him.

Dugout Views

The Rangers manager: Although this marks his initial Old Firm, the new Rangers manager has emphasized recently that he's familiar with being involved in other significant derbies as a coach, with Bayern Munich and Sheffield Wednesday.

I recall when Hansi Flick took over, our subsequent fixture was versus Dortmund at home. We secured a 4-0 victory. It is always a booster if you win such a game. Furthermore, in the EFL Championship in the Sheffield derby, I participated there too. I understand the significance to the supporters. This is more than just a game.

The German manager has been complimenting Martin O'Neill's lengthy tenure at 73.

I have tremendous respect for that type of coaching legacy. I think it is always great as a manager when you work so long in this business and achieve success.

I'm only starting out my coaching path. There's much work remaining to achieve similar status however the positive aspect we commence evenly matched, distinct coaching generations and we'll observe what we can demonstrate via our selections in this game.

I'm incredibly enthusiastic. I've gained some experience but I expect a big, big one during Sunday's match. To be involved in this fixture, the stakes are extremely high. You win, you go into the final, a loss ends your participation. I think everything is on for a magnificent contest.

Rival Coach

The Celtic manager: The stand-in manager has recently been recalling about his first meeting against Rangers two and a half decades past, the famous 6-2 demolition.

Certainly, matching that achievement could be very challenging, scoring six goals versus that team. I'd settle for a really lousy 1-0 victory if we could get it. Some lads come up and inform me: 'That was a fantastic encounter', despite not being born at the time. They relate to me their grandfathers and fathers spoke about it regularly. It transformed into a crucial game for us, not merely in that term, but possibly for sustained development.

The anxiety for approximately three days beforehand, and then if you got the result, a great relief. And I feel that's precisely the great Walter Smith used to say about it as well, that it was relief more than anything else. However these were magnificent contests truly. It's still a fantastic fixture.

This is a big game for our club. Truthfully, don't hide that reality. It's a last-four clash, it's a big match for us. Each encounter between these rivals constitutes a significant occasion, however specifically because of the circumstances of recent times, if not recent weeks, certainly.

Dugout History

Two new managers on the sidelines this afternoon yet there's a substantial disparity in rivalry knowledge among them. Danny Röhl is experiencing his first as Rangers manager while Martin O'Neill is about to take charge his twenty-eighth.

The outcome today may substantially affect on how long O'Neill's return as (interim, for now) Celtic boss lasts, as Ewan Murray has reflected.

Celtic could pay £5m in compensation to lure Kieran McKenna from Ipswich. They might consider a more significant chance on Robbie Keane. The reigning champions may opt to give Nicky Hayen from Club Brugge a first taste in British football. These constitute chances in different manners. Even more than O'Neill? This is arguable.

First XIs

Celtic (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Ralston, Trusty, Scales, Sarrachi; McGregor, Engels, Nygren; Maeda, Kenny, Tounekti.

Reserves: Sinisalo, Balikwisha, Yang, Osmand, McCowan, Hatate, Murray, Forrest, Tierney.

Marcelo Sarrachi starts preferred to Kieran Tierney on the left defensive flank. James Forrest is additionally excluded from the first team that beat Falkirk during the week.

Rangers (3-4-3): Butland; Djiga, Souttar, Cornelius; Tavernier, Diomande, Raskin, Meghoma; Aasgaard, Chermiti, Danilo.

Substitutes: Kelly, Aarons, Fernández, Rothwell, Antman, Moore, Gassama, Curtis, Miovski.

James Tavernier gets the nod ahead of Max Aarons on the right, featuring Mohamed Diomande for the suspended Connor Barron in the middle and Thelo Aasgaard preferred to Mikey Moore in forward roles.

Match Preview

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