The law of averages will catch up on Rangers eventually but the unbeaten run in Old Firm encounters does not have to end this evening.
It will be events on the pitch that decide matters, not time, but we have to go back to the 8th December 2019 for the last team Celtic beat Rangers. That was the 2019 League Cup Final at Hampden with the previous game in the league, a 0-2 victory for the visitors on a very lacklustre day for Steven Gerrard’s team.
Since then, it has been relatively plain sailing for the Gers, through the high of last season’s title trimph and into the start od this new season with the 1-0 win in August.
The recent record in full, is as follows:
29 Aug 2021 – SPFL – Rangers 1 0 Celtic
2 May 2021 – SPFL – Rangers 4-1 Celtic
18 Apr 2021 – SC – Rangers 2-0 Celtic
21 Mar 2021 – SPFL – Celtic 1-1 Rangers
2 Jan 2021 – SPFL – Rangers 1-0 Celtic
17 Oct 2020 – SPFL – Celtic 0-2 Rangers
29 Dec 19 – SPFL – Celtic 1-2 Rangers
The covid shutdown deprived this period of two games during the 19/20 season, with that campaign culled on the very eve of the third derby of that season.
Massive
This is a huge game and the momenutum is arguably in Celtic’s favour given the luck they hae enjoyed in recent games, whilst the champions have stumbled.
The old cliche is true, the title won’t be won or lost tonight but both teams and support bases are all too aware of what is at stake. From a Rangers perspective, taking a five point swing into a good run of games provides a huge boost toward the title retention charge. Having to claw back a one point deficit is a problem that we could do without.
After the weekend, the Aaron Ramsey signing was a big lift and also changed the narrative in the build up to tonight’s game. That is no more, the time is now and the Rangers players have to deliver on the pitch.