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Match Coverage

The squads take the field amid the roar, Hampden Park divided in two into blue and green. To earn the chance to face St Mirren FC here this December … it all kicks off.

Other Football

Additional games: John Brewin provides live updates for West Ham vs Newcastle in the Premier League; Yara El-Shaboury delivers fresh updates from the early kick-offs in the Women's Super League.

Turning to this match, there's just over five minutes until kick-off at Hampden!

Officiating Team

Nick Walsh will referee this afternoon. He previously officiated the 2024 Scottish Cup final involving Celtic and Rangers and a continental game the previous campaign during which he issued four red cards and 12 yellows. Avoid challenging him.

Coaching Perspectives

The Rangers manager: Despite this being his debut in this fixture, the recently appointed boss has emphasized recently that he's used to participating in other major rivalries as a coach, with Bayern Munich and with Sheffield Wednesday.

I can remember when Hansi Flick took over, our second game was versus Dortmund at home. We secured a 4-0 victory. It is always a booster when you triumph in such matches. As well, in the Championship in the Steel derby, I was also part [of it] there. I understand the significance among the followers. This transcends ordinary football.

The German manager has been praising the enduring career of 73-year-old Martin O'Neill.

I have tremendous respect for such a coaching career. I consider it consistently remarkable as a manager when you work so long in this industry and accomplish your objectives.

I'm merely commencing of my career. There's much work remaining to reach that level but the good thing is we commence evenly matched, separate eras and let's see what we can contribute with our teams in this encounter.

I'm tremendously excited. I've gained some experience yet I foresee an enormous event on Sunday. To be part of such a game, the stakes are extremely high. You win, you go into the final, a loss ends your participation. I believe all factors align for a magnificent contest.

Counterpart Perspective

The experienced boss: The temporary Celtic boss has this week been reminiscing concerning his debut match with Rangers 25 years ago, the famous 6-2 demolition.

Now, repeating that performance might be extremely difficult, putting six past them versus that team. I would take a really lousy 1-0 victory if we managed to secure it. Various individuals tell me and inform me: 'That was an amazing match', and they weren't even born. They inform me their grandfathers and fathers spoke about it regularly. It transformed into a crucial game for us, not just that season, but possibly for sustained development.

The anxiety for approximately three days beforehand, and subsequently if you achieved victory, significant comfort. And I feel that's precisely the great Walter Smith frequently stated similarly, that comfort surpassed other feelings. Yet these represented superb matches really. It remains a wonderful encounter.

This is a big game for our club. Honestly, don't conceal that fact. It's a semi-final, it's an important game for us. Each encounter between these rivals is a big game, though especially considering the circumstances of recent times, possibly even months, certainly.

Managerial Experience

Two different coaches in the dugouts today yet there's a substantial disparity in derby experience between them. Danny Röhl faces his debut leading Rangers while Martin O'Neill gets ready to manage his twenty-eighth.

Today's result might significantly influence on how long O'Neill's return as temporary Celtic manager continues, as Ewan Murray has considered.

They could potentially invest £5m in compensation to persuade Kieran McKenna away from Ipswich. They might consider a more significant chance on Robbie Keane. The Scottish champions may opt to give Club Brugge's Nicky Hayen a first taste within British soccer. These constitute chances in their own way. Beyond O'Neill? This is debatable.

First XIs

Celtic FC (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Ralston, Trusty, Scales, Sarrachi; McGregor, Engels, Nygren; Maeda, Kenny, Tounekti.

Substitutes: Sinisalo, Balikwisha, Yang, Osmand, McCowan, Hatate, Murray, Forrest, Tierney.

Marcelo Sarrachi begins ahead of Kieran Tierney at left-back. James Forrest is also omitted of the XI that beat Falkirk during the week.

Rangers (3-4-3): Butland; Djiga, Souttar, Cornelius; Tavernier, Diomande, Raskin, Meghoma; Aasgaard, Chermiti, Danilo.

Substitutes: Kelly, Aarons, Fernández, Rothwell, Antman, Moore, Gassama, Curtis, Miovski.

James Tavernier is selected ahead of Max Aarons in the right flank position, with Mohamed Diomande coming in replacing the banned Connor Barron in central areas with Thelo Aasgaard favored instead of Mikey Moore in forward roles.

Preamble

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