Key events
Martin O’Neill has chimed in on the absence of Callum McGregor, confirming to BBC Scotland that: “It is [an injury]. He was feeling pretty sore by the end of the Aberdeen game and he’s just not recovered in time.
“It’s a blow for us. He’s a captain in every aspect of it. Both a leader in the dressing room and on the field and he’ll be a big miss for us. Things like this happen in football and you’ve got to get on with it.” At least, from a Celtic perspective, it does not sound like a long-term issue – he has an achilles injury last season and O’Neill hinted it could be something similar.
Fans are filling Ibrox with 25 minutes to go before kick-off: a reminder that this is the biggest away support in eight years at an Old Firm fixture, so it should be some atmosphere.
Nygen is Celtic’s biggest goal threat this season but it’s Youssef Chermiti – the Rangers top scorer – who has been catching the eye of late.
The Portuguese is earning a reputation as a big-game hunter with eight goals in his last four matches against Celtic and Hearts. Plus that overhead kick last weekend was a bit special. The visitors cannot say they haven’t been warned.
Benjamin Nygren, Celtics’s Swede, does a reverse Sven-Göran Eriksson (he of the ‘first half good; second half not so good’) when assessing the last game against Rangers. “It wasn’t a great first half, but I think it was a very good second half, so we need to build from that,” he tells Premier Sports.
Rangers dominated the early going before falling away last weekend. The question for the hosts is how do they keep up the intensity for a full match. For Celtic the late goals and fightbacks are impressive – but the visitors will know they can’t keep giving up the initiative in games.
What have the managers had to say in the buildup to today’s match?
“I don’t think it [Sunday’s game] would have a serious bearing on the title, but in terms of confidence building, of course, those things always matter,” said Martin O’Neill, the wily old stager.
Danny Röhl reckons that Rangers go into this cup tie with belief, despite the pain of losing a two-goal lead last weekend. “We spoke about the good things, we spoke about the things we have to improve,” he said this week.
“We go with the belief, we go with the trust. I think this is very crucial, especially the 50 minutes … I think this is the focus where we are and what we want to do over 90 minutes, of course, or 95 and if it’s necessary over 120 minutes. I think this is crucial.”
So, no Callum McGregor – and no Kieran Tierney – for Celtic. The left-back came off against Aberdeen and clearly hasn’t recovered in time; no captain in McGregor for the visitors is a big blow.
Two changes for Rangers from the last Old Firm game: Chukwuani and Souttar coming out of the starting XI.
The teams
Rangers: Butland, Sterling, Djiga, Fernandez, Rommens, Raskin, Dio, Skov Olsen, Moore, Naderi, Chermiti.
Subs: Kelly, Meghoma, Souttar, Tavernier, Chukwuani, Bajrami, Gassama, Asgaard, Miovski.
Celtic: Sinisalo, Araujo, Scales, Trusty, Arthur, Nygren, McCowan, Tounekti, Yang, Hatate, Maeda.
Subs: Doohan, Donovan, Murray, Saracchi, Bernardo, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mvuka, Cvancara, Forrest
Referee: Don Robertson
VAR: Andrew Dallas
Preamble
Rangers against Celtic in a knockout tie is always a seismic game for both clubs but you get the feeling there is something extra riding on this one. It won’t be a popular talking point in Glasgow, but with Hearts atop the Premiership table, the Scottish Cup might represent each club’s best chance of ensuring they don’t end up trophyless come the end of this campaign.
So far this season it could hardly be more even – two draws (including an enthralling 2-2 at Ibrox a week ago) and a 3-1 win apiece. The two teams are also separated by just one point in the league with Celtic in second, just ahead of Rangers in third.
Danny Röhl’s hosts have had a week to prepare for this quarter-final while Celtic played in midweek, winning 2-1 in Aberdeen, but Martin O’Neill’s side will be boosted by a sizable support this afternoon. Scottish Cup allocation rules mean the away side gets up to 20% of tickets, so 7,500 Celtic fans will be filling the Broomloan Stand.
That should make for an even more boisterous atmosphere than usual, particularly with a place at Hampden on the line. Who will join Falkirk and Dunfermline in the last four of the cup? Find out with kick-off at 1pm GMT.
