Celtic have come through December unscathed so far, playing a hefty 8 matches across the month with, of course, the biggest to come on Saturday.
It’s the Bhoys’ first trip to Ibrox for over four years and a fixture they’d love to win to extend their lead at the top of the table to a massive 19 points, with one game in hand. There’s no finer way to celebrate the New Year than to get one over your rivals on their own patch.
The Hoops are of course in exceptional form having won their last 14 domestic games and gone unbeaten by a Scottish side since May.
It’s often said that form doesn’t matter going into these occasions but this Celtic side look unstoppable in every match they play right now. Even when they aren’t playing well, they’re finding enough to see off their opponents.
This is the Celtic XI we think will get the job done over Rangers on Saturday…
GK: Craig Gordon
It was a third clean sheet in a row for Craig Gordon against Ross County on Wednesday night. Unlike recent games, we expect Rangers to at least threaten the Scottish goalkeeper a couple of times across the 90 minutes at Ibrox.
He’s not been really tested since the Manchester City game at the start of the month, but his concentration and shot-stopping will be vital in the fiery derby cauldron.
RB: Mikael Lustig
For a player who grew up in Sweden, Mikael Lustig definitely gets this fixture. He plays these derbies like a boyhood fan from Glasgow and will run through brick walls for the team again on Saturday.
The Swedish international has been in fantastic form for the Bhoys this season and will be one of the coolest customers on the park against Rangers.
In an atmosphere that can see players lose their composure and get sent off, Lustig will be a reliable hand for Rodgers.
CB: Erik Sviatchenko
Erik Sviatchenko scored his first goal of the season and only his second in Celtic colours during the home game against County. It was special too, a 35-yard rocket that fizzed into the bottom corner.
It capped off what has been an excellent 2016 for the Danish international. Getting his move to Celtic in January, he’s gone from strength to strength with the Hoops and ends December as one of the team’s most influential players.
CB: Jozo Simunovic
Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko is the only viable defensive partnership at Celtic right now. They compliment each other well. Both committed and tough across an entire 90 minutes, it’s no surprise the Bhoys have conceded as few league goals as they have with these two at the back.
Simunovic snuffed out any threat Rangers had in the League Cup semi-final and is unlikely to be fazed by the hostile atmosphere that Ibrox is sure to provide.
LB: Emilio Izaguirre
Although Kieran Tierney has returned to training at Lennoxtown, the game at Ibrox comes just too soon for him so the Bhoys must turn to Emilio Izaguirre to get the job done on the left flank.
The Honduran is Celtic through and through and knows what these occasions mean to the fans. We’re not expecting any slip-ups from Izaguirre and he may even provide a key attacking threat on the overlap if Celtic have Rangers pinned in their own third.
CM: Scott Brown
No player in either squad typifies the combative nature of the Glasgow derby more than Scott Brown. The midfielder lives for occasions like these. He’ll go to battle for his side and try to dominate the midfield.
He has history at Ibrox too, famously scoring there and inventing ‘The Broony’ celebration in front of El Hadji-Diouf. Can he produce another iconic moment on Saturday?
CM: Stuart Armstrong
You could make a case that Stuart Armstrong’s turnaround as a Celtic player started in the first Glasgow derby this season.
He came on as a substitute and made an immediate impact on the match, eventually netting in the closing moments to score his first goal of the season.
Since then he’s emerged into one of the most important players in the side. He scored again against County to give the Bhoys a vital 2-0 cushion and heads into the Ibrox game in the form of his life.
RW: James Forrest
James Forrest is a homegrown Celtic talent who will likely respond well to the occasion on Saturday. The winger has been in excellent form for the Bhoys this season, having one of his best spells since making his debut way back in 2010.
He’ll be a major threat down Celtic’s right flank and could prove the difference between victory and a draw. He demonstrated earlier this season in the League Cup final that he has the ruthless streak required to impose himself on big games.
AM: Ryan Christie
Ryan Christie got the opportunity to impress Rodgers and the home faithful at Celtic Park vs. Ross County on Wednesday night. He took that chance and produced a fine display from the start – easily the Hoops’ top performer in the first half.
With the injury to Tom Rogic ruling the Aussie out of the short trip to Ibrox, Rodgers has the dilemma of going with Christie or reverting back to the likes of Nir Bitton and Callum McGregor in his absence.
We’d give the nod to Christie, purely because a player proving themselves can often produce the magic required to win big games. He’s also a relatively unknown quantity for Mark Warbuton’s side.
LW: Scott Sinclair
Rangers know all about Scott Sinclair already. The winger was one Celtic’s best players in the first derby of the season, finding the net from Moussa Dembele’s expert assist.
The winger has 11 goals already this season and that makes him one of the Hoops’ most dangerous players on Saturday.
These are the types of game that brought Sinclair to the club from the Premier League and fans will be hoping he can thrive in the atmosphere.
ST: Moussa Dembele
Not much needs to be said about the way Moussa Dembele has punished Rangers this season. His four goals in the two derby matches so far went a long way to securing his reputation as one of Europe’s brightest young strikers.
He hasn’t been in lightning form in recent weeks and despite Leigh Griffiths returning to bang in the goals, Dembele is still the man we would opt for.
He already has a fantastic record in the derbies and possesses the potential to produce something special once again on Saturday.
