Football

Preview: Celtic take on Rangers in Scottish Cup semi-final

Daizen Maeda in action against Ben Davies during the league match between Celtic and Rangers earlier this month (Image: Craig Foy/SNS Group via Getty Images)

CELTIC meet Glasgow rivals Rangers today as the Hoops continue their bid to complete the treble.

Ange Postecoglou's side have already won this season's League Cup and need only one win from their remaining five league games to seal the title.

They now face a stern test against their city rivals for the right to face Championship side Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the June 3 final.

If Rangers are to reach the showpiece, Michael Beale will have to mastermind his first victory over Celtic at the fourth attempt.

Team news

Rangers will be hoping midfielder Ryan Kent and defender Connor Goldson are in contention, having returned to training this week.

Kent hasn't played since the last meeting between the sides in the league on April 8, while Goldson missed that game through injury and has been absent since.

Scott Wright, whose last appearance was also that 3-2 defeat to Celtic earlier this month, is also back training, as is fellow midfielder Alex Lowry.

Ryan Jack is likely to be unavailable, having also not played since the Celtic Park meeting, while long-term absentees Tom Lawrence, Steven Davis and Kemar Roofe are unlikely to feature again this season.

Rangers' Ryan Kent could be back in action, having not featured since the sides met at Celtic Park on April 8 (Image: Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images)

Celtic boss Postecoglou has confirmed that influential trio Reo Hatate, Liel Abada and Jota are back in contention, having trained this week.

Hatate hasn't featured since being injured against Hibs on March 18, which was also Abada's last appearance, picking up a knock in training after that game.

Meanwhile, Jota last featured in the 3-2 win over Rangers, in which he scored Celtic's third.

If Postecoglou is unwilling to risk the trio from the start, it could see the likes of Sead Haksabanovic and Tomoki Iwata retain their starting places from last week's 1-1 draw with Motherwell.

Form

Rhat aforementioned stalemate with the Steelmen saw Celtic's 17-game winning streak come to an end.

It was also the first time Celtic had dropped points in the league at home this season.

Before the draw, the last time the Hoops dropped points was against Rangers in a 2-2 draw at Ibrox in January.

Celtic's last defeat in all competitions came in their Champions League meeting at Real Madrid in November.

They have lost just one domestic game all season, a 2-0 defeat at St Mirren in the league in September.

Celtic players celebrate after beating Rangers 2-1 in the Viaplay League Cup Final at Hampden Park in February (Image: by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Since replacing Giovanni van Bronckhorst as Rangers boss in December, Beale has overseen an improvement in results.

Until last weekend, he had won all of his games in charge — except those against Celtic.

His 100 per cent record in the league came to an end with a 2-2 draw at Ibrox against Postecoglou's side in the New Year derby.

Meanwhile, Celtic won the League Cup Final meeting between the teams in February and came out 3-2 winners in the league clash at Celtic Park earlier this month.

Beale tasted his first Rangers loss outside of Celtic with a 2-0 league defeat at Aberdeen last weekend.

Head-to-head

Celtic have dominated the fixture this season, winning their two home league games against Rangers while drawing their encounter at Ibrox.

Celtic also defeated Rangers in this season's League Cup Final at Hampden in February.

Rangers' last win over Celtic was in this same fixture a year ago, with the Ibrox side winning 2-1 AET in the last four meeting at Hampden on April 17, 2022.

Scottish Cup pedigree

As well as defeating Celtic on their way to lifting last season's Scottish Cup, Rangers also knocked Celtic out in the previous season's competition in the Fourth Round.

Celtic's last victory in the competition came in the 2019/20 season when they defeated Hearts on penalties, with the game played in December 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rangers’ last win over Celtic came in this fixture last season, as they won 2-1 AET before going on to defeat Hearts in the final (Image: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)