It has been a season full of disappointment for the Glasgow Rangers on all fronts. Besides a Europa League quarter-final heartbreak against Athletic Club, they suffered a setback in the tie-breaker while clashing heads with Celtic in the League Cup final. The Scottish Cup challenge ended prematurely following a dreadful defeat against minnows Queen’s Park; however, a third successive win against their Old Firm rivals this weekend would leave the supporters with something to cheer for after losing out on another title with four games remaining.
The Hoops will travel to Ibrox to lock horns with Rangers for one final time this season. Despite matching the Gers’ 55 league crowns, they lost twice in their past two meetings, both home and away. Their last trip on the south side of the River Clyde ended in a 3-0 humiliation, and it remains to be seen whether Brendan Rodgers’ Bhoys seek revenge on Sunday afternoon.
Predicted 3-4-1-2 Rangers Lineup To Face Celtic
Defence
It has been a rough run for Liam Kelly, who has replaced Jack Butland between the sticks. Although the latter set up Hamza Igamane’s winner in March at Parkhead, Barry Ferguson is expected to stick with the Scotsman in the last line of defence.
Rangers are going through a crisis at the back amid injuries to Dujon Sterling, Rafael Fernandes, Neraysho Kasanwirjo and Ridvan Yilmaz. Clinton Nsiala struggled against St Mirren in Paisley, and the youngster might lose his place to Leon Balogun, who is back in training after a minor operation on his fractured cheekbone. The veteran Nigerian should form a three-man backline alongside Robin Propper and John Souttar.
Midfield
Their decimated defensive third needs to be managed tactically with formation tweaks and strategic alterations. Skipper James Tavernier and Jefte would feature as wingbacks, but they must shift a little deeper as fullbacks to deal with Celtic’s flair from the flanks.
18-year-old Bailey Rice has been a breath of fresh air in the centre of the pitch, and the Ibrox crowd must back the Rangers academy sensation if he gets a nod over Connor Barron in this Old Firm encounter. The expertise of Nicolas Raskin should help Rice settle in and deliver as a box-to-box midfielder. Mohamed Diomande has impressed with his playmaking traits, and the gaffer might bank on the Ivorian as a ‘number 10’ ahead of Ianis Hagi, Nedim Bajrami and Tom Lawrence.
Attack
Igamane scored a stunning decider as a ‘super sub’ around one-and-a-half months back. His swift footwork, movements and link-up play offer a different attacking threat than Cyriel Dessers’ traditional approach. While they have not featured together in many games, Ferguson should deploy them high up the pitch to balance flexibility and directness. Vaclav Cerny could be introduced from the bench, whereas Ross McCausland, Oscar Cortes, and Danilo are among the other attacking alternatives who have hardly impressed due to form and fitness reasons.
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