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The squads take the field into the noise, Hampden Park split down the middle between blue and green. For the opportunity to meet St Mirren at this venue next month … it all kicks off.

Additional Fixtures

Other football: John Brewin is on our minute-by-minute coverage for West Ham v Newcastle in the EPL; Yara El-Shaboury brings the newest developments from the day's opening matches in the women's top division.

Regarding our coverage, we're only five minutes away before the game begins at Hampden!

Match Officials

Nick Walsh will referee this afternoon. He previously officiated the 2024 cup final featuring these two rivals and a Europa League match the previous campaign where he showed four dismissals and a dozen bookings. Don't cross him.

Coaching Perspectives

Danny Röhl: While this is his first Old Firm, the fresh-faced gaffer has stated clearly in recent days that he's used to being involved in other major rivalries in his coaching career, with Bayern Munich and with Sheffield Wednesday.

I recall when Hansi Flick took over, our following match was versus Dortmund at home. We secured a 4-0 victory. It is always a booster when you triumph in such matches. As well, in England's second tier in the Sheffield derby, I was also part [of it] there. I understand the significance to the supporters. This transcends ordinary football.

The young coach has been praising the enduring career of 73-year-old Martin O'Neill.

I hold great admiration for such a managerial journey. I consider it consistently remarkable as a manager when you remain active for so many years in this industry and you are successful.

I'm merely commencing my professional journey. I have a lot of work to do to come to this point but the good thing is we commence evenly matched, separate eras and we'll observe what we can demonstrate with our teams in this encounter.

I'm tremendously excited. I have had some experience though I anticipate a big, big one on Sunday. To participate in such a match, it's all or nothing. You win, you go into the final, defeat means elimination. I feel all elements converge for an outstanding match.

Counterpart Perspective

The experienced boss: The stand-in manager has this week been reminiscing about his first meeting with Rangers a quarter-century ago, the memorable 6-2 victory.

Certainly, matching that achievement might be extremely difficult, netting six times against that side. I would take a scrappy single-goal triumph should we achieve it. Various individuals tell me and say to me: 'That was an amazing match', and they weren't even born. They relate to me their ancestors and parents discussed it frequently. It became a really pivotal match for our team, not only during that campaign, but possibly for sustained development.

The tension for nearly 72 hours before, and then if you got the result, a great relief. And I believe that's exactly the legendary Walter Smith often mentioned too, that comfort surpassed other feelings. Yet these represented superb matches truly. It continues to be a superb rivalry.

This represents an important match for our club. Really, don't disguise that at all. It's a semi-final encounter, it's a crucial contest for our side. Any Celtic-Rangers game is a big game, however specifically because of the circumstances of the recent days, if not weeks, definitely.

Managerial Experience

Two different coaches in the dugouts today though there's a significant difference in rivalry knowledge among them. Danny Röhl encounters his inaugural leading Rangers while Martin O'Neill gets ready to manage his twenty-eighth.

Today's result might significantly influence on how long O'Neill's return as (interim, for now) Celtic boss continues, as Ewan Murray has considered.

They could potentially invest £5m in compensation to persuade Kieran McKenna from Ipswich. They might consider an even bigger gamble involving Robbie Keane. The reigning champions might choose to offer Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen an initial experience in British football. These constitute chances in different manners. Beyond O'Neill? This is arguable.

Team Selections

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

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

Marcelo Sarrachi begins preferred to Kieran Tierney in the left-back position. James Forrest also drops out from the first team that defeated Falkirk in their recent match.

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

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

James Tavernier gets the nod ahead of Max Aarons in the right flank position, featuring Mohamed Diomande replacing the banned Connor Barron in the middle with Thelo Aasgaard favored instead of Mikey Moore in offensive positions.

Match Preview

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