Digressive Celts

Matches › 2026/27

Celtic v Rangers

Saturday 27 February 2027, 15:00 · Celtic Park · Round 29

Forecast

CelticRangers
Expected goals1.861.11
Win55%22%
Expected Points1.870.89
Clean sheet33%16%

Celtic 55%Draw 24%Rangers 22%

Most likely score 1–1, 11%. Both sides score 57%.

Rangers goalsCeltic goals0123456+0123456+6%5%3%1%6%2%5%2%6%6%3%1%3%3%2%1%1%9%11%9%10%

From the forecast as it stood on 18 October 2026: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page. How the forecasts work.

Form

Celtic

  1. W7–118 OctHearts (H)xG 4.23–1.20
  2. W2–011 OctMotherwell (A)xG 2.85–1.10
  3. L0–120 SepRangers (H)xG 0.39–1.81
  4. W1–09 SepSt. Johnstone (A)xG 1.80–0.69
  5. W2–15 SepSt. Mirren (A)xG 3.19–1.95
  6. W3–02 SepAberdeen (H)xG 2.67–0.68

Rangers

  1. D2–217 OctDundee FC (A)xG 1.80–1.77
  2. W3–110 OctKilmarnock (H)xG 1.42–1.15
  3. W1–020 SepCeltic (A)xG 1.81–0.39
  4. W1–09 SepSt. Mirren (H)xG 2.49–1.26
  5. W1–05 SepMotherwell (H)xG 4.29–0.70
  6. W2–12 SepFalkirk (A)xG 1.57–1.00

The last six league matches, newest first, with xG for and against.

Season to date

CelticRangers
Position1st2nd
Played99
Won, drawn, lost8–⁠0–⁠16–⁠2–⁠1
Points24 (2.67 per game)20 (2.22 per game)
Expected Points per game2.311.98
Goals23–⁠513–⁠7
xG per game2.93–⁠1.052.13–⁠1.10
Home: points, xG per game2.40, 2.60–⁠0.952.25, 2.60–⁠1.20
Away: points, xG per game3.00, 3.33–⁠1.182.20, 1.75–⁠1.03
ManagerMartin O'Neill (27)Derek McInnes (9)

League matches this season before kick-off. The manager's number is league matches in charge since 2020/21.

Ratings

0.51.01.52.02.5League average 1.35AttackCeltic2.17, 1stRangers1.90, 2ndDefence (lower is better)Celtic0.88, 1stRangers1.00, 2nd

This season

Attack0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctCeltic attack: 2.17Rangers attack: 1.902.171.90RangersCelticDefence (lower is better)0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctCeltic defence: 0.88Rangers defence: 1.001.000.88

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday, with their rank among the league's clubs; a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs, spread up and down only so they don't overlap.

Strengths and weaknesses

CelticRangers
CreatedConcededCreatedConceded
Open play+121%−48%+41%−42%
Counter-attacks+195%−35%+8%+3%
Set pieces−8%+5%+29%−16%
Penalties−100%−43%+14%−43%
Headers+164%−27%+26%−26%
Left side+159%−62%+14%−22%
Centre+87%−13%+56%−28%
Right side+61%−42%+18%−41%

xG created and conceded per game against the league average this season: +24% is 24% more than an average side. Left and right are each side's own, so chances conceded on its left come from opponents attacking down their right. Green favours the side and amber doesn't.

Matchups

Celtic attacking

Celtic createdRangers concededLeft side+159%−41%Centre+87%−28%Right side+61%−22%Open play+121%−42%Counter-attacks+195%+3%Set pieces−8%−16%Headers+164%−26%

Rangers attacking

Rangers createdCeltic concededLeft side+14%−42%Centre+56%−13%Right side+18%−62%Open play+41%−48%Counter-attacks+8%−35%Set pieces+29%+5%Headers+26%−27%

Each side's xG created per game down each side of the pitch, through the centre, and from each type of chance, against what its opponent concedes there, both relative to the league average.

Season averages

CelticRangers

2.93xG2.13
1.05xG against1.10
60%Possession55%
20.3Shots20.2
11.9Shots against9.6
9.2Shots on target6.6
5.2Big chances2.8
38.2Touches in the opposition box38.4
605Passes452
88%Pass accuracy80%
9.0Corners7.2
68%Field tilt60%
62.3Final-third entries47.5
24.5Box entries18.6
13.0Passes per defensive action11.4

Per league match this season before kick-off. Field tilt, entries, and passes per defensive action cover 8 and 8 of those matches.

Game state this season

Celtic

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level242.231.23
Ahead573.340.98
Behind102.161.05

Rangers

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level472.071.41
Ahead321.950.74
Behind112.910.83

xG by period

Celtic

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.400.126–0
16–300.400.251–1
31–450.710.247–2
46–600.570.076–1
61–750.310.202–1
76–900.540.161–0

Rangers

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.310.193–1
16–300.430.131–0
31–450.420.323–3
46–600.340.152–0
61–750.290.191–1
76–900.330.143–2

Per game this season, with stoppage time counted in its half; goals are totals for and against.

Most used players by position

Celtic

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTSinisalo 8Johnstone 1Donovan 6Johnston 2Carter-Vickers 1Carter-Vickers 5Murray 3Trusty 6Scales 4Tierney 6Scales 3McGregor 8Baur 6Oxlade-Chamberlain 2Engels 2Hassan 5Durán 3McCowan 1Nygren 7Donovan 1Sørensen 1Yang 5Tounekti 2Nygren 1Durán 5Høgh 44-2-3-1 in 7 of 9 starts

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (7), 3-4-3 (1), 4-1-4-1 (1)

Rangers

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTPandur 9Sterling 7Makhanya 1Nedeljković 1Fernandez 9Godfrey 1Makhanya 7Rommens 1Penrice 7Rommens 1Chermiti 1Raskin 7Devlin 3Dragojevic 1Neil 6Diomande 1Curtis 3Bouanani 2Kim 2Kim 4Naderi 3Devlin 1Gassama 8Curtis 1Shankland 5Kelsy 3Naderi 14-2-3-1 in 6 of 9 starts

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (6), 4-1-4-1 (1), 4-4-1-1 (1), 3-5-2 (1)

This season's most used formation, with up to three players who started most often in each position and their league starts there. Underneath, when a side has used more than one, every formation with its starts.

Head to head

DateHomeAwayxG
20 September 2026Celtic0–1RangersxG 0.39–1.81
10 May 2026Celtic3–1RangersxG 1.08–0.94
1 March 2026Rangers2–2CelticxG 1.44–3.82
3 January 2026Celtic1–3RangersxG 2.34–1.44
31 August 2025Rangers0–0CelticxG 0.15–0.19
4 May 2025Rangers1–1CelticxG 1.46–1.10

25 league meetings since 2020/21: Celtic won 9, Rangers won 9, and 7 were drawn. Goals 37–37 and xG 1.38–1.21 per game.

Key players

Celtic

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Nygren8654630.730.23
Durán8591550.560.33
Tierney6459130.310.44
Baur6550100.290.19

Rangers

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Naderi5546410.650.15
Kim6487000.400.13
Gassama8646020.310.17
Raskin7595100.190.11

Up to four players a side with the most xG plus xA per 90 minutes, from those with at least 450 league minutes.