It is impossible to imagine Ange Postecoglou playing for a draw in any fixture, let alone the derby match. And, if no Rangers fan will hold Michael Beale responsible for Celtic’s almost-certain coronation as champions, his team cannot possibly repeat the tame surrender that saw them so comfortably outplayed by their old rivals in their last meeting.
As the top two in Scotland’s elite division meet at Celtic Park on Saturday, then, where do we expect the contest to be settled?
Rangers attack
Let’s start by looking at the attack of the visitors, who didn’t get close to Celtic in that Viaplay Cup Final at Hampden; in a game they absolutely need to win, this is a part of the team that simply must function at 100 per cent efficiency.
Rangers bring a mix of the old and new to the final third, relying on tried-and-tested rotations to create crossing opportunities – but also looking to open teams up through the middle.
Looking at their most recent games, you can see how they still like to create overloads on the wings, with photos 1-3 a perfect illustration.
Dundee United appear to be in good shape as Kent actually holds up and slows down play on the left, waiting for Ryan Jack and Borna Barisic to arrive and generate a 3 v 2. Note how the threat of Kent then forces United to double up on the Englishman.
Two passes and one straight run later, Barisic is in a position to deliver, with virtually no pressure on the ball.
The photo below shows how the trio of Scott Wright, Kent and Malik Tillman work a similar trick on the right, with Wright’s movement after playing the cut-back absolutely key to creating space for Kent.
Tillman’s two goals against United underlined his growing importance to Beale – and the movement to generate his opener revealed another key element of the tweaked attack. As Photo 6 shows, Todd Cantwell knows exactly where to put the ball when he receives it from Conor Goldson, with Tillman spinning in behind the defence.
Rangers defence
So much for Rangers going forward. What about their defence? They don’t give up many chances. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t weak spots.
Look at Photo 7, a grab from early in the move as Motherwell scored in an eventual 4-2 win for the visitors to Fir Park, and you’ll see how high a line Rangers like to keep – always danger when an opposing player has the ball under no pressure. If you can’t get that offside trap spot on, you’d better be dropping into the danger area.
And they’re still prone to switching off at set-pieces, with Photos 8 and 9 showing Hibs player Matthew Hoppe simply peeling off the back of the usual free-kick scrum to cross for Goldson’s OG.
Celtic have used that kind of movement at free-kicks pretty well at times this season. Something to watch out for, then.
As for how the Hoops set about hurting opponents from open play, well, we talk a lot about their movement, the famous inverted full-backs and the ability of their midfielders to get into dangerous areas with an all-angles assault.
But it’s worth remembering, especially if Rangers go chasing the win, that Celtic carry genuine menace on the counter. Photo 10 shows how Kyogo bends his run to beat the offside in pursuit of a through ball, the move ending with Daizen Maeda – another electrifying runner – converting from close range (Photo 11).
Celtic attack
Celtic’s pressing powers also shouldn’t be overlooked (see Photo 12) as a way of forcing opponents into mistakes. They create chances by setting these traps.
Defensively, the very fact Postecoglou is so committed to throwing his full-backs forward obviously creates openings for any opposing team quick enough and brave enough to exploit the space left in behind.
Cameron Carter-Vickers may well be a human cheat code for Scottish Premiership football. But he can’t do everything, everywhere, all at once.
So, if you’re good enough to play through Celtic’s high press, you will be rewarded with overloads like the one in Photo 13, which ended with Hearts scoring against an outnumbered defence.
Like any team, Postecoglou’s men can also be vulnerable to a quick enough switch of play, with the early ball shown in Photo 14 creating room for a knock-down and shot (Photo 15) or, for a player with a better touch, a run into a dangerous area.
The verdict
Expect chances, then. The visitors will believe that they carry a sufficient scoring threat – given enough of the ball – to cause a bit of havoc in the Hoops ranks.
But there’s still a vulnerability about Beale’s men, who allowed players like Aaron Mooy to get on the “wrong” side of their midfield repeatedly at Hampden. If they don’t tighten up on the basics, they’ll be in trouble.
