Rangers v Celtic: Scottish Premiership – live!

6 min Tavernier’s wicked cross just evades the stretching Kent, who got the wrong side of the sleeping Juranovic at the far post.

5 min Rangers have made a blistering start with and without the ball. Celtic just need to stay in the game for the next 5-10 minutes.

What a superb team goal. Bassey started the move with a terrific ball inside Juranovic to find Kent on the left. He slid an early low cross towards Ramsey, who clipped it first time past Hart with his left foot. Hart got a hand on it as he dived to his left but couldn’t keep it out.

2 min Bassey is bundled over by Jota, which gives Rangers an early free-kick. Tavernier’s inswinger just evades the stretching Balogun at the far post.

1 min Peep peep! Celtic get the game under way, kicking from left to right as we watch. “The atmosphere in this place… I’ve not heard it like this in years,” says Ally McCoist, co-commentating on Sky Sports.

The players stroll out of the tunnel and onto the field. You don’t need me to tell you that the atmosphere is sensational.

Ten minutes to kick off

Let’s have a reminder of the two teams.

Rangers (4-2-3-1) McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Bassey; Jack, Lundstram; Aribo, Ramsey, Kent; Roofe.
Substitutes: McLaughlin, Helander, Barisic, Davis, Kamara, Sands, Arfield, Amad, Fashion Jr.

Celtic (4-3-3) Hart; Juranovic, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor; Hatate, McGregor, Rogic; Jota, Giakoumakis, Maeda.
Substitutes: Bain, Bitton, Abada, Turnbull, McCarthy, Johnston, Ideguchi, O’Riley, Ralston.

Referee Willie Collum.

Book club

Can I recommend a couple of books? Good, thanks. Martyn Ramsay’s 50 Greatest Rangers Games, as well as being superbly written, is a reminder to us outsiders that Rangers’ world doesn’t necessarily revolve around Celtic. I think only four of the top 20 are Old Firm matches. I haven’t read Celtic’s Greatest Games yet but suspect it tells a similar tale – Internazionale, Barcelona, St Mirren, etc.

I haven’t read Tom Brogan’s We Made Them Angry either, mainly because it isn’t released until the end of the month, but he’s a brilliant writer and it’s on a subject I’ve always wanted to know more about: Scotland at the 1982 World Cup. We tend to think of 1978 as the great missed opportunity, understandably so given the sheer tragicomedy of it all, but the squad four years later was arguably even better. Sadly they were in a Group of Certain Death with a fine USSR side and an awesome Brazil.

“Hi Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Alex Ferguson was the last manager to lead a club other than Celtic or Rangers to the Scottish title, with Aberdeen in 1885. Or maybe it was 1985, and just feels longer. Just another indication of his genius I suppose. The chances of somebody ‘doing a Leicester’ in Scotland are less than zero I’m afraid. Even ‘doing a Brentford’ and giving the big boys a bloody nose on their own patch once in a while seems increasingly unlikely for most teams. Anyway, lots of goals and red cards please.”

Yes please.

While Rangers are without Alfredo Morelos, Celtic have the in-form Georgios Giakoumakis up front. He’s scored hat-tricks in two of his last three league games, and should get a lively reception after saying Celtic are better than Rangers “in every single department”.

“I know every game is the BIGGEST OF ALL TIME!!!! but this feels as big as I can recall,” writes Martyn Ramsay. “Certainly the most meaningful Old Firm game at this stage of the season since 2011 in terms of deciding the title. And then there’s the automatic Champions League money. Losing out on £40m is just too much to comprehend. We’d have to win the Europa!”

This is the first of three games between Rangers and Celtic in the next few weeks. They meet in the Scottish Cup semi-final on 17 April and will play again at Celtic Park when the league splits after 33 games. Whatever happens, it’ll be emotional.

Four changes for Rangers from the team that beat Dundee before the international break. Ryan Jack, Joe Aribo, Leon Balogun and Kemar Roofe replace James Sands, Filip Helander, Scott Arfield and the injured Alfredo Morelos.

Celtic are unchanged from the 4-0 win over Ross County a fortnight ago, though it’s slightly surprising to see that Kyogo isn’t among the substitutes.

Form guide

Celtic have won 21 and lost none of their last 24 league games. Rangers have lost only one of the last 29, when they were routed in the first half at Celtic Park back in February.

Early team news

Rangers are missing Alfredo Morelos, who will be out for at least a couple of weeks with a thigh injury. Kemar Roofe is likely to replace him up front.

Kyogo Furuhashi is in the Celtic squad for the first time this year, though he is unlikely to start.

Let’s start with some hard facts. Celtic are three points and 14 goals ahead of Rangers with seven games remaining. If they win today, it’s probably over. If they draw, they’ll keep their safety net. And if Rangers win, it’s on like never before.

Okay, that’s a palpable exaggeration, a bald-faced lie, but I’m sure you’ll forgive the excitement. We could be heading for the closest SPFL title race since 2010-11. And don’t us neutrals just love that.

Kick off 12pm.