Celtic host Rangers at Parkhead for first league derby of the season
Celtic hosted Rangers at Parkhead at 12 noon on Sunday, September 20, 2026, for the first league derby of the Scottish Premiership season.
The Old Firm, the historic name for games between Glasgow's two big clubs, always carries noise. This one carried league weight too. Celtic started the day top of the table. Rangers started third. Hearts sat between them.
The SPFL table updated on September 19 listed Celtic first with 18 points from six matches. Heart of Midlothian were second with 13 points from seven. Rangers were third with 13 points from six, with a goal difference of plus three SPFL. A Celtic win would stretch the gap. A Rangers win would drag them right back into it.
Form pointed to Rangers. The two sides had met only seven days earlier. Rangers won that second meeting in a week 3-0 at Ibrox in the League Cup quarter-final BBC Sport. Captain Dan Neil scored twice and Kevin Kelsy added the third in front of 51,212 supporters, according to live reporting The Guardian. Celtic, by contrast, arrived after a Europa League defeat to Ferencvaros. Europe's second-tier club competition had left them needing a response.
Derek McInnes was in charge of Rangers. Martin O'Neill was in charge of Celtic. McInnes told the club's official site that another big performance was required from his players Rangers. He had reason to ask. Back-to-back wins at Parkhead and Ibrox in one week would set a tone for the season.
Referee John Beaton took charge of the noon kick-off at Parkhead, also known to Celtic fans as Paradise.
Celtic named Sinisalo in goal, with Trusty, Carter-Vickers, Scales and Donovan in defence. Baur, McGregor, Tierney and McCowan filled midfield. Duran and Nygren led the attack. Their substitutes were Johnstone, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hogh, Tounekti, Hassan, Mheuka, Murray, Forrest and Ralston.
Rangers named Pandur in goal, with Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya and Penrice in defence. Kim, Neil, Raskin and Gassama played in midfield. Naderi and Kelsy started up front. Their bench was Kelly, McCrorie, Godfrey, Dragojevic, Devlin, Chukwuani, Curtis, Bouanani and Miovski.
For fans, this means choice in how to follow it. The match was shown live on Sky Sports Main Event, the channel carrying the league's live lunchtime slot Radio Times. CelticPlayer also streamed the game live for subscribers. BBC Sport provided live audio coverage from 11:30.
What makes this stand out is the speed of the rematch. Two derbies in seven days give players little room to hide. Lessons from the cup tie were still fresh. Nerves were fresh too.
The calendar does not ease up. The next league derby after this one was already scheduled for January 3. Ninety minutes in September would not decide the title. It would decide the mood of the city for a while, and that counts for plenty in Glasgow.
