Rangers v Celtic: key questions for Old Firm derby as Gerrard and Lennon clash

The New Year begins with a colossal Old Firm derby on Saturday as the two best in Scottish football meet at Ibrox.

These two might start an argument in an empty room, so their second closed-door showdown is unlikely to be a half-hearted affair.

Here, BBC Scotland assesses the key questions for a match filled with intriguing subplots.

A confrontation that defines the season?

The champions aren’t crowned in January, but the importance of this latest derby cannot be underestimated. While not quite a headline decision maker, the outcome will shape the coming months of a historic campaign.

The Rangers, after watching their biggest rivals dominate them with nine successive titles, are now in the ascendancy and will have a 19-point lead if they beat Celtic for the third time in a row.

Even with three games in hand – and two more Old Firm contests to play – that would be a yawning gap. And the evidence suggests it would be insurmountable. The Rangers are undefeated in the league, have won 13 straight games and have lost just four points to 63 in their best start in nearly a century.

Celtic have come in and out of crisis and have shown new vulnerabilities, but they go to Ibrox on the back of four successive league wins. Put simply, it feels like a game they can’t afford to lose in their hesitant quest for an unprecedented 10th consecutive title.

Can Gerrard win a tactical battle again?

If ever Celtic boss Neil Lennon needed to prove he could tactically outsmart Rangers counterpart Steven Gerrard, it’s this weekend.

Celtic – weakened by the absence of six players due to Covid-19 and injury – were outclassed on their own ground in the previous meeting and failed to register a shot on target during a 2-0 defeat.

The Rangers’ dominance was glaring, but not punctual. They have been the best team in four of the last five derbies – with the exception of Celtic’s 2-0 victory at Ibrox in September 2019 – as Gerrard’s tactical setup undermined Celtic’s strength.

Gaining a stranglehold on the midfield allowed Ibrox’s side to dictate and Celtic’s 3-5-2 formation was badly exposed in October as the Rangers rampaged down the flanks in a 4-2- 3-1 well drilled.

However, with Celtic having deployed a diamond in midfield as part of a 4-4-2 in the last few matches – helping forwards Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths flourish – Lennon is hoping he has found a strategy to turn things around on Gerrard.

Who will get the right selection of calls?

Both managers must make critical decisions. Rangers forward Ryan Kent – whose dazzling early-season form plummeted – was dropped for Wednesday’s win over St Mirren. But with Kent’s penchant for thriving at the Old Firm occasion, can Gerrard afford to keep the 24-year-old on the bench on Saturday?

Alfredo Morelos returned to the starting lineup at Paisley and scored his first goal in nine matches. The Colombian forward is yet to score against Celtic in 13 appearances – and has been below his best this season – but his physique and quality have disrupted Porto’s defenses in the Premiership.

Lennon, meanwhile, must choose to restore captain Scott Brown to midfield. Age seems to have caught up with the 35-year-old this season and his replacement, Ismaila Soro, has excelled.

The 22-year-old had only started for Celtic this month. He has now been selected for five of their last six games and scored his first goal with a belt strike in Wednesday’s win over Dundee United.

Even though Brown’s leadership and experience has been a staple of the Old Firm clashes, it would be a huge call if Lennon plays him at Soro’s expense.

Elsewhere, the probable absence of Christopher Jullien leaves Lennon with a gap to fill at the center-back. Shane Duffy – who endured an error-ridden loan spell – will he get a nod in front of Nir Bitton?

Will Rangers’ defense stop Celtic’s rebirth?

Just over a month ago, a few hundred fans stood outside Celtic Park and called for Lennon’s sacking. The 2-0 League Cup loss to Ross County ended fans’ patience amid a streak of just two wins in 12 and the manager looked doomed.

Yet from the depths of desperation, the Northern Irishman has reconstituted a recovery. Celtic are heading to Ibrox after six successive wins in all competitions and with no conceding goals in four Premiership games.

Their performances have yet to fully convince – the Scottish Cup final success against Hearts completed the historic quadruple triple, but only came after Celtic let slip a two-goal halftime lead .

Lifting that trophy helped keep Lennon in a job, and now comes the acid test. With the manager’s position due to be reviewed in the new year, the result against Rangers could determine his future.

To improve their prospects, Celtic will have to break through a Rangers defense that accumulates surprising statistics. Gerrard’s men have conceded just five league goals – up from 13 at the same stadium last season – in 21 games and kept 17 clean sheets.

At Ibrox they were virtually impenetrable with just one goal conceded in 10 straight wins. Another shutout would secure a point and Rangers advantage closer to their first major trophy in a decade.