Rangers v Celtic: Scottish Premiership – live
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Today marks 54 years since the Ibrox disaster, in which 66 Rangers fans died. There was a memorial service outside Ibrox earlier this afternoon, which Rangers manager Philippe Clement attended. This is the current league table, in case Rangers fans need reminding. For the neutral at least, a shame that Aberdeen’s early-season form has fallen away.
![[Rangers manager Philippe Clement and chairman Fraser Thornton lay a wreath during an Ibrox Disaster memorial service.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/9c1b60169668fce769ee4dd309fae15e8837d9de/0_83_6000_3601/master/6000.jpg?width=465&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Rangers are severely weakened, but do have Rabbi Matondo and Cyriel Dessers on the bench if they need to make attacking changes. Turns out Balogun is not fit enough to even make the bench. Celtic are almost at full strength. Only James Forrest and Odin Holm are out.
Rangers: Kelly, Sterling, Propper, Yilmaz, Jefte, Diomande, Raskin, Cerny, Bajrami, Hagi, Igamane. Subs: Munn, Cortes, Barron, Dessers, Matondo, Dowell, King, Fraser, Danilo. Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, Hatate, McGregor, Bernardo, Kuhn, Kyogo, Maeda.
Subs: Sinisalo, Trusty, Palma, Idah, Valle, Yang, McCowan, Engels, Ralston. Referee: Don Robertson. Happy new year everyone. If the Old Firm derby is one of the fiercest in world football, this 2025 edition means the least it has done for some time. Celtic are 14 points clear at the top, impressing in the Champions League, have a proven manager, a vastly superior budget to anyone else in Scotland and have conceded just four goals in 18 league matches this season (scoring 52).
Rangers are on their worst run of the season, winning just one (a 1-0 home win over Dundee) of their past five fixtures in all competitions. The truth has always been thus: Rangers must aim to win every domestic game, and they have been a long way off that this season. There is little time to ‘build a project’ or ‘blood promising youngsters’. Manager Philippe Clement is increasingly under pressure, perhaps unfairly given the circumstances.
