Rangers vs Celtic: Key talking points ahead of first Old Firm clash of season with League Cup semi-final spot at stake

Rangers host Celtic at Ibrox on Sunday with a Scottish Premiership meeting across the city just seven days later, live on Sky Sports.

While the Hoops have won all six of their league games this season, Rangers have won their last four after a slow start.

There is far more than just bragging rights at stake on Sunday. Rangers have not won silverware since 2024 and Celtic will want to reclaim the only domestic trophy that eluded them last season.

Can McInnes handle the Old Firm pressure?

The last time Derek McInnes came face-to-face with Martin O'Neill was in last season's Premiership title decider, when he suffered an agonising defeat in what would turn out to be his last match as Hearts head coach.

The 55-year-old is no stranger to high-pressure games and has come up against the Hoops 61 times as a manager, winning 10 of them.

He experienced victory in his only Old Firm appearance as a Gers player, but Sunday will be his first taste of the fixture in the dugout.

In contrast, O'Neill is well-versed in leading Celtic in one of the fiercest derbies in football and his record is respectable to say the least.

In his 28 matches against the Gers, the Northern Irishman has won 16.

One of McInnes' decisions will likely be who starts up front in the absence of captain Lawrence Shankland and fellow striker Youssef Chermiti.

Ryan Naderi kept his place for their midweek win against St Mirren as a reward for scoring the winner vs Motherwell after coming on for the injured Shankland.

He played the full game, but it was substitute Bojan Miovski who netted the only goal. Could it bring the former Aberdeen striker into McInnes' starting line-up?

Kevin Kelsy made his first start since his £9m deadline day move from Portland Timbers and will also be in the manager's thoughts. He has yet to find the net in a Rangers top, so would the intensity of an Old Firm clash be the place for him to shine?

O'Neill made five changes for Celtic's midweek win at St Johnstone as he rested some key players ahead of Sunday's clash.

Camilo Duran, who has scored six goals this season, is set to return to the starting XI after the manager admitted they missed him in Perth.

He came on to replace Haissem Hassan and played on the right while Kasper Hogh, returning from injury, was preferred in the central attacking role.

Will O'Neill drop the Dane in favour of Duran through the middle, or will he decide to play them both at Ibrox?

Cameron Carter-Vickers was rested completely in midweek after starting every match so far this season. Dane Murray put in a solid performance in his absence, but will the experience of Carter-Vickers be preferred by O'Neill?

Wolves loanee Sam Johnstone was selected ahead of regular goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo and made a fine save at 0-0.

Given his performance and clean sheet, will O'Neill stick with the England international in the fierce Ibrox atmosphere?

Only Rangers fans are allowed in the 50,000-capacity Ibrox for the League Cup quarter-final against Celtic at the order of the authorities amid a ticket allocation spat between the two Glasgow giants .

Both clubs had previously agreed that an away ticket allocation of five per cent would be in place for all SPFL games at both grounds.

However, following the on-pitch clashes between fans after their Scottish Cup match in March and an independent review, those arrangements were reconsidered.

The Hoops have been to Govan without any of their own fans before and won, so there will likely not be as big a concern from the Parkhead support this time around.

"I think we've got to bring the crowd with us.

"You're not going to play Celtic and dominate the game for 90 minutes. We'll have spells, they'll have spells, it's just the way it is.

"I think it's important that we tap into having that 50,000 behind us and be behind the players, support them, have their backs, not be on their backs and really make it as tough for Celtic as possible.

"We've got our part to play in that and I felt that if we can capitalise on good play and good opportunities, which we didn't do last night and we didn't do against Motherwell (also won 1-0) obviously, if we can get ourselves in front, give the crowd something to get behind, then I think the strength of our club can be shown.

"I think if the 50,000 can be utilised and we can have the strength of performance in the team that will help the team, it will be difficult to stop."

"Looking forward to it in the usual way, nervously looking forward to it, excitedly looking forward to it. It's a great fixture.

"It'll be strange in many aspects not to have any away fans in our area. I always felt as if it would give you a crumb of comfort in some description, but it is what it is.

"We had police come in today, just a little 15-minute meeting with us, just reminders of our behaviour, which I think is actually a timely reminder, it's a good thing as well.

"I think it's the overall picture. Gosh, it'd be nice to have something to celebrate. I think it's just general behaviour from us.

"The games themselves almost take care of themselves in that sense.

"There's a great atmosphere. The league game that we played, 2-0 down early on in proceedings and Ibrox probably as loud as it's ever been and a really great atmosphere reciprocated by us in the little split game as well too, I thought that was really great.

"But I just think it'll be a bit strange not having the fans in, but as I say, the atmosphere takes care of itself."