With the possible exception of the very early weeks of the season, when Celtic and Rangers meet, it is usual for one of them to be hovering somewhere close to crisis. It is simply the nature of Scottish football, the overwhelming strength and remorseless antipathy of the Glasgow sides. When one is down, the other is presumably up.
Not this season, however. For the first time in a generation, there seems to be a real prospect that someone other than the Old Firm might win the title. Hearts’ 3-0 win over Celtic on Sunday gave them a six-point lead at the top of the Premiership with 10 games played and set the reigning champions in freefall. There is a chance the title might shift out of Glasgow and it has been a very long time since that has been the case, let alone since another team won it, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen in 1985. The last time Hearts were Scottish champions in 1960, a little-known Liverpool five-piece had just named themselves the Silver Beetles.
Celtic and Rangers might occupy second and third but both already bear the scars of 2025-26. The former go to Hampden Park without a manager, Brendan Rodgers resigning in incendiary fashion after the Hearts defeat. Long-bubbling tension with ownership boiled over as major shareholder Dermot Desmond accused the outgoing manager of “divisive, misleading, and self-serving” statements and actions that contributed to a toxic atmosphere at Celtic Park. That has only partially been eased by the interim return of the enormously successful Martin O’Neill, winner of three league titles in his past tenure.
In a way, Celtic are merely playing catch-up with Rangers on the tumult stakes. Their manager, Russell Martin was sacked on October 5, four months into a three-year contract. It took more than a fortnight of setbacks and near misses before former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl was appointed. Since then, results have improved domestically, a 1-0 win at Hibernian moving Rangers up to third in the Premiership even as they remain rooted to the bottom of the table in the Europa League league phase.
There is, of course, a long way to go in the title race but amid their travails, this semifinal of the Scottish League Cup looks like an opportunity. This trophy is the most recent major honor that Rangers lifted in 2024 and no team has won it more frequently. It could be an ideal early Christmas present for their supporters, though much the same is true at Celtic. Given that both clubs could well by then have new managers keen on ingratiating themselves, a win in the 448th Old Firm derby is as vital as ever.
Viewing information
- Date: Sunday, Nov. 2 | Time: 10 a.m. ET
- Location: Hampden Park — Glasgow, United Kingdom
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Odds: Celtic -133; Draw +280; Rangers +290
Possible lineups
Celtic XI: Kasper Schmeichel; Anthony Ralston, Auston Trusty, Liam Scales, Kieran Tierney; Benjamin Nygren, Callum McGregor, Arne Engels; Daizen Maeda, Johnny Kenny, Sebastian Tounekti.
Rangers XI: Jack Butland; Nasser Djiga, John Souttar, Derek Cornelius; James Tavernier, Mohamed Diomande, Nicolas Raskin, Jayden Meghoma; Danilo, Youssef Chermiti, Djeidi Gassama.
Prediction
The bookmakers would have you believe that Celtic are quite strong favorites for this game on neutral turf but it is rarely so clear cut when these two meet. Perhaps they will emerge victorious but it is sure to be a tight game. PICK: Celtic 2, Rangers 1
