Celtic might have walked out with a 9-0 victory over Dundee United this weekend but things are expected to be much tighter next weekend, when the Hoops welcome the Rangers to Parkhead for the first Glasgow Derby of the season. At the moment, they have a 2-point lead over their eternal rivals but Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side will have the chance to overturn that.
Thus, it is a very important game without a shadow of a doubt, as the Glasgow rivals are once again expected to contest a tightly fought title race.
Both have made great starts to their respective seasons as well. Celtic have won all five of their league games and sit at the top of the table. On the other hand, while the Rangers might have dropped points in the league, that has been compensated by them making the Champions League group stage by getting past the qualification phase, something that they have not been able to do in years.
Thus, there is no hiding from the fact that they are a good team and it will be a big test for Celtic when they come visiting Parkhead next weekend. Ange Postecoglou seems to be very confident in his side though. As reported by The Scottish Sun, he said:
"“The games were pretty tight last year and I think they’ll be the same this year.“From our perspective, we have to make sure leading into that game we are in good form, feeling positive about things and making sure we reach the levels we know we can.“When we play at our best we are hard to stop, irrespective of who we’re playing against.”"
Postecoglou makes brilliant claim before Celtic face Rangers in the first Glasgow Derby of the season at Parkhead
This is what Celtic fans would like to hear from Postecoglou, going into the first Glasgow Derby of the season.
While the Rangers are a good side, one cannot forget that Celtic beat them twice last season, both home and away.
Thus, they must be confident of their own chances going into the game, especially after that 9 goal display. It is expected to be a lot tighter, but even then, we have seen Celtic put three past the Rangers at Parkhead just last season.