Both Celtic and the Rangers drew their games in Europe this week. The Hoops played out a goalless contest away against Dinamo Zagreb. On the other hand, the Ibrox club welcomed Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur and it ended 1-1. Now, the two Glasgow sides will meet at the weekend at Hampden Park for the Scottish League Cup final.
Celtic will have been disappointed with their performance against Dinamo Zagreb, as they could manage only a solitary shot on target despite having the lion's share of the possession. They will need to improve a lot this weekend against the Rangers.
On the other hand, a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur has to be viewed as a positive result for the Rangers. But, they have worries coming out of the game as well.
The biggest has to be the fitness situation of John Souttar. The centre-back had to be subbed off in the 35th minute as he went down with a non-contact injury after attempting a pass. He was not able to continue and it feels unlikely that he will be available this weekend.
Rangers suffer major blow before final against Celtic
Souttar has been one of the Rangers' best and most consistent performers this season. So, if he does end up missing the Scottish League Cup final, that will have to be viewed as a blow for Philippe Clement's side.
Of course, Celtic cannot afford to spend time thinking about the issues at Ibrox. They have to focus on themselves and improve on their underwhelming mid-week performance.
It goes without saying that Celtic will be the favourites this weekend against the Rangers. But that does not mean that they can take anything for granted. Form and past results often go out of the window in games like these. The Hoops must take their A-game to Hampden Park.