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Match Coverage

The teams emerge amid the roar, Hampden Park split down the middle into blue and green. For the opportunity to meet St Mirren here next month … it all kicks off.

Other Football

More matches: John Brewin is on our minute-by-minute coverage for West Ham vs Newcastle in the EPL; Yara El-Shaboury has all the latest from the early kick-offs in the Women's Super League.

As for us, approximately five minutes remain before the game begins at the national stadium!

Match Officials

Nick Walsh is the man in the middle this afternoon. He previously officiated last year's Scottish Cup final featuring these two rivals and a continental game last season where he showed four sending-offs and 12 yellows. Avoid challenging him.

Coaching Perspectives

Danny Röhl: While this is his first Old Firm, the fresh-faced gaffer has made it clear recently that he's accustomed to taking part in other major rivalries during his managerial journey, at Bayern Munich plus his stint at Wednesday.

I recollect when Hansi Flick assumed control, our subsequent fixture took place against Dortmund at our stadium. We triumphed 4-0. It always provides a lift following success in these encounters. Additionally, in the EFL Championship in the Sheffield derby, I participated there too. I recognize the importance to the supporters. This transcends ordinary football.

The 36-year-old German has been complimenting the enduring career of 73-year-old Martin O'Neill.

I have tremendous respect for such a coaching career. I think it is always great as a manager when you sustain your career over decades in this business and you are successful.

I'm merely commencing my professional journey. I have a lot of work to do to reach that level but the good thing is we commence evenly matched, separate eras and let's see what we can demonstrate with our teams in this game.

I am very excited. I've gained some experience but I expect an enormous event on Sunday. To participate in such a match, everything is at stake. You win, you go into the final, defeat means elimination. I believe all factors align for a great, great game.

Rival Coach

The experienced boss: The stand-in manager has been reflecting this week about his first meeting versus their rivals two and a half decades past, the memorable 6-2 victory.

Now, repeating that performance may prove quite arduous, netting six times against those opponents. I would take a really lousy 1-0 victory if we managed to secure it. Certain supporters approach and say to me: 'That was a fantastic encounter', despite not being born at the time. They tell me their ancestors and parents discussed it frequently. It transformed into a crucial game for us, not merely in that term, but likely for future progress.

The tension for nearly 72 hours beforehand, and subsequently if you achieved victory, tremendous relief. And I think that's what the great Walter Smith used to say about it as well, that it was relief more than anything else. But they were fantastic fixtures genuinely. It's still a fantastic fixture.

This represents an important match for our club. Truthfully, don't hide that reality. It's a semi-final encounter, it's a crucial contest for our side. Any Celtic-Rangers game constitutes a significant occasion, however specifically because of the situation of recent times, if not weeks, certainly.

Managerial Experience

Two different coaches on the sidelines this afternoon yet there's a substantial disparity in rivalry knowledge among them. Danny Röhl is experiencing his first as Rangers manager while Martin O'Neill is about to take charge his twenty-eighth.

This match's conclusion may substantially affect on how long O'Neill's second spell as (interim, for now) Celtic boss lasts, as Ewan Murray has been pondering.

They could potentially invest five million pounds in compensation to persuade Kieran McKenna from Ipswich. They could take a more significant chance with Robbie Keane. The title holders may opt to give Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen a debut opportunity within British soccer. These constitute chances in different manners. Even more than O'Neill? This is arguable.

First XIs

Celtic FC (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Ralston, Trusty, Scales, Sarrachi; McGregor, Engels, Nygren; Maeda, Kenny, Tounekti.

Substitutes: Sinisalo, Balikwisha, Yang, Osmand, McCowan, Hatate, Murray, Forrest, Tierney.

Marcelo Sarrachi starts preferred to Kieran Tierney in the left-back position. James Forrest is additionally excluded from the first team that beat Falkirk during the week.

Rangers FC (3-4-3): Butland; Djiga, Souttar, Cornelius; Tavernier, Diomande, Raskin, Meghoma; Aasgaard, Chermiti, Danilo.

Reserves: Kelly, Aarons, Fernández, Rothwell, Antman, Moore, Gassama, Curtis, Miovski.

James Tavernier receives preference ahead of Max Aarons on the right, featuring Mohamed Diomande replacing the banned Connor Barron in midfield and Thelo Aasgaard chosen to Mikey Moore in offensive positions.

Match Preview

Greetings and welcome to the Old Firm. It's got to be better {than last time|compared to the previous meeting|versus