theRangers v Celtic: Team News, Match Officials , KO time & Where to Watch

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The Celtic Star

·31 August 2025

theRangers v Celtic: Team News, Match Officials , KO time & Where to Watch

It’s Glasgow Derby Day and a chance for Celtic to have our first Beautiful Sunday of 2025, so let’s go over to their place, play well, win comfortably and then we’ll have a party to remember!

VAR decision at Ibrox for their offside goal. theRangers v Celtic, 4 May 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

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Brendan Rodgers will be without both Alistair Johnston (hamstring) and Jota (ACL) but will have two new options in the squad with both Marcelo Saracchi and Michel-Ange Balikwisha available for selection, provided there’s no skullduggery at the Scottish FA with international clearances. They’re for the watching as they have previous with the likes of Jorge Cadete. Lest we forget.

It’s the team that can’t defend taking on the side that can’t score – as theRangers who lost 9-1 to Club Brugge in their Champions League playoff take on Celtic who couldn’t find the back of the net in around 225 minutes of football against Kairat in their own Champions League playoff.

Both clubs have a chance to redeem themselves in the Europa League and also in the Glasgow Derby today, the final one in 2025 with theRangers needing to avoid defeat to make it through the calendar year unbeaten against Celtic for the first time in their history.

Celtic supporters, Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

Brendan Rodgers, hitherto with such an impressive record against theRangers will be looking to get that back on track and in particular to do it for the 77 year old supporter and the other 400 hundred who made the 7000 round trip to and from Almaty to support the team on Tuesday evening and were so badly let down.

Nothing other than three points today will do and watching that game in Brugge in midweek just about any strikers in the Scottish Premiership would fancy playing against that theRangers defence today. So no more excuses Celtic.

Johnny Kenny at Ibrox. theRangers v Celtic, 4 May 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

A Celtic victory will open a nine points gap over theRangers and will probably see their new manager Russell Martin booted out amid the huge levels of fan anger. Their team selection was apparently leaked yesterday and if that turns out to be correct it shows that the dressing room is as revolting at the support. Delicious, really delicious.

Celtic Team News

Brendan Rodgers will have Kasper Schmeichel in goals today at Ibrox. At right back there’s no Alistair Johnston and Tony Ralston is going to be a last minute decision, so we could see a Glasgow Derby debut for young Colby Donovan.

Brendan Rodgers arrives at Ibrox. theRangers v Celtic, 4 May 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The two central defenders will be Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales with Dane Murray the likely substitute who’ll join the game in a defensive role. At left back Rodgers will start with Kieran Tierney who won’t last the 90 minutes so expect Marcelo Saracchi to get 20 minutes for his Celtic debut, subject to international clearance.

Hopefully Brendan now accepts that the midfield three of McGregor, Hatate and Nygren doesn’t work. Nygren could push forward into the right side of the attack and that will allow Arne Engels to come into the team. Pity this wasn’t done on Tuesday night.

Nygren will be joined by Daizen Maeda through the middle and new signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha on the left, with that chance to become an instant Celtic hero.

Predicted Celtic Team

Schmeichel; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; McGregor (c), Engels, Hatate; Nygren, Maeda and Balikwisha

Subs: Sinisalo, Simpson-Pusey, Saracchi, Murray, McCowan, Bernardo, Forrest, Idah, Yang, Kenny and Shin

Match Officials

Don Robertson, Dens Park, Dundee v Celtic. 14th January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Experienced match official Don Robertson has the whistle and he is assisted by Daniel McFarlane and Chris Rae. Andrew Dallas is the VAR and his assistant is Calum Scott.

Kick-off Time

Today’s Glasgow Derby at Ibrox kicks-off at 12 noon CPT*

Where to Watch

theRangers v Celtic Glasgow Derby is live on the Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football channels with highlights on BBC Sportscene this evening. The Scottish Premiership game from Ibrox will also be shown live on Celtic TV for subscribers based outside of Britain and Ireland.

Score Prediction

A long overdue Celtic victory – theRangers 1 Celtic 3.

COYBIG!

*Celtic Park Time

Celtic in the Eighties – Out Next Week!

Last chance to get your copy of Celtic in the Eighties signed by Danny McGrain! All pre-order copies will be posted out starting tomorrow so this is the last chance to get a signed copy! We have very few signed copies remaining….

Celtic in the Eighties is published on Friday 5 September by Celtic Star Books….

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Foreword by Danny McGrain. Published on Celtic Star Books on 5 September 2025. Click on image to pre-order.

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