2025 kicks off with a bang in the Scottish Premiership as Rangers host Celtic in the Old Firm derby.

Regarded as one of the fiercest rivalries in world football, these two clubs have battled for decades at the summit of the Scottish game but the fixture has been distinctly one-sided in recent times.

Rangers have failed to win any of the previous seven meetings, with Celtic’s supremacy in the derby being reflected by their overall dominance. The Hoops have won 12 of the previous 13 Scottish titles, with the Gers’ solitary triumph arriving in 2020/21 under Steven Gerrard.

Rangers have little chance of reclaiming the crown this season with Brendan Rodgers’ side running away with the league. Celtic are 14 points clear of their eternal rivals at the summit with Thursday’s hosts enduring an underwhelming campaign with Belgian Philippe Clement at the helm.

Clement’s team head into the derby having lost to St. Mirren and drawn at Motherwell to conclude 2024. Celtic remain unbeaten domestically and have conceded just four goals in 18 league games.

Here is 90min’s guide to Thursday’s Old Firm derby.

Centre-back Leon Balogun picked up a knock against St. Mirren on Boxing Day and subsequently missed Rangers’ 2-2 with Motherwell to close out 2024. Clement will be keen to welcome the defender back for the Old Firm, but Balogun remains a doubt.

After picking up a suspected hamstring injury at the weekend, the hosts will certainly be without captain James Tavernier, while goalkeeper Jack Butland will also be kept out after being hospitalised on Tuesday with a “significant internal bleed”. He was discharged on Wednesday and will focus on recovery at home.

Rabbi Matondo was back in action on Sunday as he enjoyed a cameo off the bench following a lengthy injury layoff. He’s unlikely to return to the Gers’ starting XI here, but he’ll be ready for another appearance as a substitute.

The hosts are missing Tom Lawrence, Neraysho Kasanwirjo and John Souttar. Hamza Igamane will be recalled to the XI after his match-saving performance on Sunday.

Rangers predicted lineup vs Celtic (4-2-3-1): Kelly; Sterling, Balogun, King, Yilmaz; Diomande, Raskin; Cerny, Bajrami, Hagi; Igamane.

Celtic, like their hosts, don’t have too many injury concerns heading into the new year. They’re poised to only be without James Forrest and Odin Thiago Holm for their trip to Ibrox.

It’s been a hectic festive period for the runaway leaders, but Rodgers is unlikely to make wholesale changes from the side that thumped St. Johnstone at the weekend. Celtic are bound to be full strength here, with Kyogo Furuhashi aiming to continue his excellent record in this fixture.

Only Henrik Larsson and Kenny Miller have scored more Old Firm derby goals than the Japanese forward (eight).

Celtic predicted lineup vs Rangers (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; Bernardo, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Kyogo, Maeda.

Rangers head into the contest in poor form and without much hope of catching their rivals at the summit, but they recently proved in the Scottish League Cup final that they can compete with this Celtic side in a one-off encounter.

The hosts will, of course, be emboldened by a fervent Ibrox, but the perennial champions have displayed an impressive ability in recent years to win away at their fiercest rivals without much fuss.

Celtic are supreme defensively and doubtlessly the superior side. That should show again here.