Celtic Face Rangers With Title Gap Ready to Swing
Celtic can go eight points clear of Rangers on Sunday. Or they can lose a third match in a row and see that lead cut to two.
The Glasgow rivals meet in the Scottish Premiership at Celtic Park on Sunday, 20 September, with a 12pm kick-off BBC Sport. It is their second derby in the space of seven days.
Celtic arrive under pressure. They lost 3-0 to Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals last weekend, then lost 3-1 at home to Ferencvaros in their opening Europa League match, Europe's second-tier club competition BBC Sport. Rangers arrive in rhythm. They have won five in a row, with four clean sheets, games without conceding a goal.
Martin O'Neill leads Celtic into the derby. Derek McInnes leads Rangers. McInnes has played down the talk around empty away sections, describing the absence of away fans as "overhyped".
Celtic have problems to solve in defence and attack. Winger Yang Hyun-Jun remains on international duty with South Korea. Full-back Alistair Johnston and forward Callum Osmand remain sidelined with injury.
Rangers have a doubt of their own up front. Striker Ryan Naderi suffered an ankle injury against Celtic after a challenge from Mika Baur and may miss the return meeting. Rangers have contacted Willie Collum, the Scottish FA's head of refereeing, to ask why no further punishment was given for that challenge. There is better news at left-back, where Tuur Roomens has returned to training after injury.
For fans, this means a sharp swing in mood. A home win steadies Celtic after a bruising week. An away win turns a five-point gap into a two-point race.
