Last season was huge in terms of the Premiership title race, with Celtic looking to win a historic 10th title in a row and Rangers going all-out to stop them.
Steven Gerrard's side romped home to complete their return to prominence but, as big as that achievement was, there's arguably even more on the line this season.
Thanks to improved performances in Europe, the league champions this season stand to bank a £40million windfall with an automatic place in the Champions League.
There could hardly be a bigger carrot in a tight title race, but both sides will be aware those riches are not guaranteed as Scotland began the season ranked 11th in the coefficient.
There are 26 automatic places on offer, with 12 going to the top four from England, Spain, Italy and Germany.
France and Portugal's top two are in, as are the champions of the Netherlands, Russia, Belgium and Austria.
That leaves two places for the Champions League and Europa League winners, but if the European champions have already qualified then the former place goes to Scotland.
That's a virtual certainty but if, like Chelsea in 2012, the Champions League winners haven't qualified via their domestic competition they will go straight into the group and the Premiership winners will enter the play-off round.
So, should Rangers and Celtic fans be worried?
The statistical analysis website FiveThirtyEight uses a complex algorithm to work out the probabilities for both domestic leagues and European competitions.
We've run the numbers to work out the chances of that automatic place being taken away by looking at the data for all 16 teams left in the Champions League, factoring in each side's chances of winning it and the likelihood they don't qualify via their league.
Manchester City
According to the algorithm City are currently the team most likely to lift the famous trophy at the end of the season.
It's the final frontier for Pep Guardiola's side, who reached the final last season, and a chance for the Spaniard to prove he can win this competition without Lionel Messi.
There's no danger for Scotland's title challengers if City do finally get their hands on the trophy though, with a 23 point cushion over fifth place in the English Premier League.
Chance of missing top four: Less than one per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: 25 per cent
Bayern Munich
The perennial German champions are among the favourites to conquer Europe, and will expect to be right in the thick of it at the end of the season.
FiveThirtyEight gives them a 20 per cent chance of going all way, slightly down on their ranking after the group stage.
But the supercomputer also reckons there's a 96 per cent chance they win a ninth title in a row and it's over 99 per cent certain they'll finish in the top four.
Chance of missing top four: Less than one per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: 20 per cent
Liverpool
They may have faltered over the winter thanks to Covid issues and AFCON absences but Jurgen Klopp's men are still regarded as one of the favourites for the Champions League.
A slight drop in form has seen their statistical odds of winning a seventh European Cup drop slightly to 15 per cent by this metric but that still makes them third most likely to do it.
Rangers and Celtic fans can have no fears if they're cheering on Andy Robertson though, Liverpool are a lock for the top four.
Chance of missing top four: Less than one per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: 15 per cent
Ajax
According to the numbers at least, Ajax are fourth favourites to win the Champions League for the first time since 1995.
It'd certainly be the romantic option for people who are fed up of seeing clubs from Europe's top five leagues hoisting the trophy, and holds no danger for Scottish clubs.
Ajax need only to finish top two to go into the group stage, and the stats say they're 96 per cent certain to win the league and in absolutely no danger of falling to third.
Chance of missing top two: Less than one per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: 13 per cent
Chelsea
Chelsea have shot up the rankings having found their form after a stick spell at the end of last year.
Thomas Tuchel's side are, of course, the reigning European champions and it's a brave person who would bet against them doing it again.
Barring a dramatic collapse in the coming months they should make the top four domestically, with the algorithm giving them a 97 per cent chance.
Chance of missing top four: Three per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: 10 per cent
Real Madrid
No club is more synonymous with this competition than Real Madrid, and few managers know how to win it better than Carlo Ancelotti.
The club has 13 of the big-eared trophies to their name and the Italian has won it three times, twice with Milan and once with the Merengues.
Domestically they're being hunted by Sevilla, but there's a 15 point cushion to city rivals Atletico Madrid and Clasico foes Barcelona, who are duking it out for fourth spot.
Chance of missing top three: Less than one per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: Four per cent
Paris Saint-Germain
With a 13 point lead in Ligue 1 with 14 games remaining, PSG will be in the Champions League next season.
They've got a tough tie in this season's competition, as they face Real Madrid in the first leg of their last 16 tie on Tuesday night.
The model doesn't give Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé much chance of guiding the capital club to Champions League glory but that won't matter to Celtic or Rangers.
Chance of missing top three: Less than one per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: Four per cent
Villarreal
This is where things could start getting nervy for Scotland's top two.
The algorithm gives the Spaniards just a three per cent chance of winning the Champions League, and they've got a tough last 16 tie against Juventus.
But FiveThirtyEight give them just a 25 per cent chance of qualifying through La Liga, so they're one to keep an eye on.
Chance of missing top four: 75 per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: Three per cent
Inter
The Serie A champions have a nightmare draw against Liverpool, putting their odds of overall victory down at just two per cent.
Inter were the last Italian club to win the Champions League, with Juventus beaten in the final in 2015 and 2017.
If they repeat their 2010 success it shouldn't be an issue for Celtic or Rangers though, with Simone Inzaghi's side almost certain to make the top four.
Chance of missing top four: Less than one per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: Two per cent
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone's side have not made a good fist of defending the La Liga title and currently sit outside the top four.
They're level on points with Barcelona but the supercomputer reckons there's still a 65 per cent chance they qualify for the Champions League.
Their form explains the two per cent chance they're given of winning in Europe but if they get past Manchester United there could be some sweaty palms in Glasgow.
Chance of missing top four: 35 per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: Two per cent
Manchester United
Speaking of whom....
There's no indication on current form that the Red Devils have any chance of winning the Champions League, and that's reflected by the model.
It is a knockout competition though and there's still quality in that side. Add in the Cristiano Ronaldo European factor and stranger things have happened.
The numbers say they've got just a 15 per cent chance of a Premier League top four place, so the Red Devils are a big threat to Scotland's automatic place.
Chance of missing top four: 85 per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: Less than one per cent
RB Salzburg
Two things are pretty much certain: Salzburg will win the Austrian Bundesliga and they won't win the Champions League.
Taking the title would put them in the group stage automatically and second would be enough to secure qualification.
Chance of missing top two: Two per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: Less than one per cent
Sporting
Six points off leaders Porto and four ahead of Benfica, the Portuguese side need only to maintain their position to go straight into the group stage.
If they were to fall to third they'd have to go through the qualification process and therefore need the automatic place for the Champions League winner.
Luckily for our teams, there's a statistically negligible chance of them doing that.
Chance of missing top three: Less than one per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: Less than one per cent
Lille
The bad news: if Lille win the Champions League there's just an 11 per cent chance that Rangers or Celtic will get the automatic Champions League place.
The good news: Lille aren't going to win the Champions League.
Chance of missing top three: 89 per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: Less than one per cent
Benfica
It's far from certain Benfica will get an automatic place via the league, though they'll almost certainly be top three.
FiveThirtyEight gives them next to no chance of winning in Europe though, and some less scientific reasons could be cause for optimism.
Legend has it the Lisbon side are cursed after legendary coach Bela Guttman, having won back-to-back European Cups, asked for a pay rise and was denied it.
He's said to have declared "Not in a hundred years from now will Benfica ever be European champions again". They've lost in eight continental finals since, despite Eusebio and fans visiting his grave to ask for forgiveness ahead of the 1990 European Cup final.
Chance of missing top three: five per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: Less than one per cent
Juventus
There's good news on the Italian front for Celtic and Rangers, with Juve previously the biggest threat to the automatic place.
They've improved in Serie A since the group stage, as well as investing big money in Dusan Vlahovic.
FiveThirtyEight now gives them a 52 per cent chance of qualifying for the Champions League, with Max Allegri's side currently in fourth.
And the algorithm also reckons there's less chance of them conquering Europe, with their chances dropping from two per cent after the group stage to less than one per cent now.
Chance of missing top four: 48 per cent
Chance of winning Champions League: Less than one per cent
