Digressive Celts

Matches › 2026/27

Celtic v Rangers

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

Forecast

CelticRangers
Expected goals1.771.14
Win52%24%
Expected Points1.790.96
Clean sheet32%17%

Celtic 52%Draw 25%Rangers 24%

Most likely score 1–1, 12%. Both sides score 57%.

Rangers goalsCeltic goals0123456+0123456+6%6%4%1%6%2%6%2%5%6%3%1%2%3%1%9%12%9%10%

From the forecast as it stood on 11 October 2026: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page.

Form

Celtic

  1. W2–011 OctMotherwell (A)xG 2.85–1.10
  2. L0–120 SepRangers (H)xG 0.39–1.81
  3. W1–09 SepSt. Johnstone (A)xG 1.80–0.69
  4. W2–15 SepSt. Mirren (A)xG 3.19–1.95
  5. W3–02 SepAberdeen (H)xG 2.67–0.68
  6. W2–129 AugFalkirk (H)xG 3.45–0.57

Rangers

  1. W3–110 OctKilmarnock (H)xG 1.42–1.15
  2. W1–020 SepCeltic (A)xG 1.81–0.39
  3. W1–09 SepSt. Mirren (H)xG 2.49–1.26
  4. W1–05 SepMotherwell (H)xG 4.29–0.70
  5. W2–12 SepFalkirk (A)xG 1.57–1.00
  6. W1–030 AugAberdeen (A)xG 2.10–0.35

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

Season to date

CelticRangers
Position1st2nd
Played88
Won, drawn, lost7–⁠0–⁠16–⁠1–⁠1
Points21 (2.62 per game)19 (2.38 per game)
Expected Points per game2.252.06
Goals16–⁠411–⁠5
xG per game2.76–⁠1.032.17–⁠1.02
Home: points, xG per game2.25, 2.19–⁠0.892.25, 2.60–⁠1.20
Away: points, xG per game3.00, 3.33–⁠1.182.50, 1.73–⁠0.84
ManagerMartin O'Neill (26)Derek McInnes (8)

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

Ratings

0.51.01.52.0League average 1.34AttackCeltic2.11, 1stRangers1.92, 2ndDefence (lower is better)Celtic0.88, 1stRangers0.97, 2nd

This season

Attack0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctCeltic attack: 2.11Rangers attack: 1.922.111.92RangersCelticDefence (lower is better)0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctCeltic defence: 0.88Rangers defence: 0.970.970.88

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%−47%+42%−46%
Counter-attacks+175%−28%+20%+14%
Set pieces−21%−4%+42%−33%
Penalties−100%−40%+20%−40%
Headers+132%−24%+40%−50%
Left side+164%−64%+17%−14%
Centre+93%−6%+66%−31%
Right side+25%−48%+20%−59%

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+164%−59%Centre+93%−31%Right side+25%−14%Open play+121%−46%Counter-attacks+175%+14%Set pieces−21%−33%Headers+132%−50%

Rangers attacking

Rangers createdCeltic concededLeft side+17%−48%Centre+66%−6%Right side+20%−64%Open play+42%−47%Counter-attacks+20%−28%Set pieces+42%−4%Headers+40%−24%

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

2.76xG2.17
1.03xG against1.02
62%Possession55%
20.6Shots20.1
10.9Shots against9.5
9.1Shots on target6.2
5.0Big chances2.9
39.5Touches in the opposition box38.1
620Passes449
88%Pass accuracy80%
9.4Corners7.4
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.

Game state this season

Celtic

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level262.061.25
Ahead543.220.93
Behind112.161.05

Rangers

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level442.191.33
Ahead351.960.69
Behind112.750.87

xG by period

Celtic

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.330.134–0
16–300.420.241–1
31–450.550.234–1
46–600.590.075–1
61–750.340.212–1
76–900.540.150–0

Rangers

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.340.203–1
16–300.480.061–0
31–450.410.272–2
46–600.350.151–0
61–750.260.191–0
76–900.330.153–2

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

Most used players by position

Celtic

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

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

Rangers

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTPandur 8Sterling 6Makhanya 1Nedeljković 1Fernandez 8Godfrey 1Makhanya 6Rommens 1Penrice 6Rommens 1Chermiti 1Raskin 6Devlin 3Dragojevic 1Neil 5Diomande 1Curtis 3Kim 2Naderi 1Kim 3Naderi 3Devlin 1Gassama 7Curtis 1Shankland 5Kelsy 34-2-3-1 in 6 of 8 starts

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (6), 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
Nygren7564430.660.23
Durán7531430.490.32
Baur5460100.300.14
Scales6536100.100.15

Rangers

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Naderi4456410.770.18
Gassama7556020.340.17
Raskin6505000.220.12
Sterling6496000.010.28

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