When Celtic and Rangers come together everyone has an opinion on how this fixture will shake out.
Some believe current circumstances is king, while others subscribe to the old adage that form goes out the window when the Old Firm go head to head.
But what can't be denied is the third encounter out of four has proven to be critical when it comes to winning the league.
Every match counts but the penultimate showdown often appears to be where titles are won and lost.
Gio van Bronckhorst and Ange Postecoglou have plenty to concern themselves in the here and now but a trip down memory lane raises a compelling narrative.
Record Sport looks at what winning, or at least not losing, the third league encounter means for Rangers and Celtic 's title hopes.
1999/00 Celtic 0 Rangers 1
Rangers were dominant in Dick Advocaat's second season in charge and picked off Kenny Dalglish's side to open up a 12-point lead. Celtic controlled this one for long spells but their territorial advantage didn't yield a goal and that allowed Rod Wallace to strike in the closing exchanges.
Rangers were streets ahead and would go onto trounce their great rivals 4-0 at Ibrox in the final league encounter.
Who won the league? Rangers at a canter. They secured the title by 21 points.
2000/01 Celtic 1 Rangers 0
Martin O'Neill labelled Rangers the benchmark when he arrived in the summer of 2000. But he quickly made Celtic the team to beat after a debut season for the ages.
The first two derbies were bonkers - 6-2 to the men in green before a 5-1 reverse at Ibrox - but this was a more controlled affair as Alan Thompson's solitary strike settled it.
Who won the league? Celtic by 15 points, that marked an incredible 36-point swing in just 12 months.
2001/02 Rangers 1 Celtic 1
An Arthur Numan rocket cancelled out Stilyan Petrov's opener as Rangers ended a run of four consecutive league defeats to their great rivals.
Rangers would have to wait for their time to come but this was a sign of better days ahead after Alex McLeish's arrival.
Who won the league? Celtic, but this draw would be the first of seven games unbeaten in this fixture for big Eck.
2002/03 Celtic 1 Rangers 0
No Henrik Larsson, no problem for Celtic as they ended the aforementioned seven-game blues after John Hartson fired home to secure a 1-0 lead.
Celtic would then win on Beachball Sunday at Ibrox to set up a title scrap for the ages.
Who won the league? Rangers on goal difference. This is one of the rare occasions when losing the third game didn't prove a killer
2003/04 Rangers 1 Celtic 2
If Celtic were left smarting about losing a gut-wrenching title race then they answered in the most convincing of manners.
Larsson and Thompson, dual tormenters of Rangers, netted in either half and Stephen Thompson's late strike wasn't enough to seal a result.
Who won the league? Celtic at a canter. They won all four league games and a Scottish Cup quarter final in a season fans hailed as the 'Green and Whitewash'.
2004/05 Celtic 0 Rangers 2
Rangers' calling card under McLeish's stewardship was their sheer resilience.
There were some rocky moments, of course, but this first win at Parkhead in five years was a signature moment as it kept them in the mix to strike on Helicopter Sunday.
Gregor Vignal's long-range effort squirmed through Rab Douglas before Nacho Novo put the seal on a landmark win.
Who won the league? Rangers stayed strong after losing the final clash at Ibrox to capitalise on Scott McDonald's late double for Motherwell to win the league at Hibs.
2005/06 Rangers 0 Celtic 1
Roy Keane made his one visit to Ibrox count as he strolled through his only taste of this famous fixture.
Maciej Zurawski scored the only goal of the game as Gordon Strachan's side earned a signature win on enemy territory.
Who won the league? Celtic and it was Hearts who finished second with McLeish's final season in charge ending on a flat note.
2006/07 Celtic 0 Rangers 1
Paul Le Guen had been and gone by the time the third fixture between Celtic and Rangers rolled around.
Walter Smith was already making a telling impact with January signings David Weir and Christian Dailly adding a resoluteness to a team who previously appeared soft at their centre.
But it was the late Ugo Ehiogu who grabbed the win after acrobatic effort left Artur Boruc scrambling.
Who won the league? Celtic, but Smith's Rangers would win again at Ibrox to send a reminder ahead of the next season.
2007/08 Celtic 2 Rangers 1
In one of the most dramatic seasons in Scottish football history, it was a bonkers finish that secured Celtic a win and give them hope that an unlikely title win was on.
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's last-gasp winner sealed all three points for Strachan's side who had a knack of winning games at the last. Shunsuke Nakamura netted a wonder goal to put the hosts ahead.
Scottish football said farewell to Phil O'Donnell and Tommy Burns in a campaign which also led Rangers to the UEFA Cup final in Manchester.
Who won the league? Celtic, on the final day of the season, as they finished the campaign on fire that included another win over Rangers in the final fixture between the pair.
2008/09 Celtic 0 Rangers 0
Everyone remembers the thrillers but few in attendance will be able to forget a clash between the pair that proved the cure for insomnia.
McDonald had Celtic's best chance but both teams settled for a point with Smith's Rangers appearing the fresher heading into the final weeks of the season.
Who won the league? Rangers on the final day of the season after defeating Dundee United. This draw coupled with a win over Celtic at Ibrox in the final Old Firm fixture was enough to earn a first title in four seasons.
2009/10 Rangers 1 Celtic 0
There have been few goals as decisive as Mo Edu's last-gasp strike that put Rangers beyond Celtic's reach.
Tony Mowbray's side were uneven and Robbie Keane was unable to inspire a title revival as he headlined a January transfer splurge.
Who won the league? Rangers romped it in their most convincing title triumph in a decade.
2010/11 Celtic 3 Rangers 0
Gary Hooper's double and Kris Common's swerving strike was enough to see Celtic cruise past Rangers.
But Smith's side were able to dust themselves down and finish with a flourish, despite a chastening day in Glasgow's east end.
Who won the league? Rangers, they secured a third consecutive title with a 5-1 thumping over Kilmarnock on the final day of the season.
2011/12 Rangers 3 Celtic 2
Rangers were rocking both on and off the pitch as they plunged into administration and trailed Celtic by a hefty points total.
But they denied their foes a chance to win the title at Ibrox with an emotional 3-2 win. Sone Aluko was a standout.
Who won the league? Celtic, Neil Lennon's side earned the glory at the end of the campaign.
20016/17 Celtic 1 Rangers 1
In a season when Brendan Rodgers' side possessed a Midas touch, they toiled during a stuffy 1-1 draw at Celtic Park.
Stuart Armstrong had Celtic ahead but Clint Hill grabbed a late consolation in Graeme Murty's final match in temporary charge before Pedro Caixinha took the reins.
Who won the league? Celtic, 30 points clear of Aberdeen and 39 points ahead of Rangers.
2017/18 Rangers 2 Celtic 3
Odsonne Edouard netted the decisive goal as Murty, back in charge after Caixinha's exit, saw his side's bid to force a title race hit the buffers.
Both teams played their part but it was Rodgers' ice-cold formation tweak after Jozo Simunovic's red card which sealed all three points.
Who won the league? Celtic, that win catapulted Rodgers' side toward a seventh consecutive league triumph.
2018/19 Celtic 2 Rangers 1
Rodgers was gone by the time this game came around but it Alfredo Morelos' first half red card that was the ultimate body blow for Steven Gerrard's side.
Ryan Kent's equaliser had Rangers in it but James Forrest scored in closing stages to secure a win and send returning boss Neil Lennon dancing down the touchline.
Who won the league? Celtic, and this result put a stamp on it.
2019/20 No third game
The Covid pandemic called time on the Scottish season days before Celtic's visit to Ibrox. Lennon's men had a 13-point lead and had played a game more than their rivals.
Who won the league? Celtic, the league was awarded on a points per game basis.
2020/21 Celtic 1 Rangers 1
The third fixture of a season behind closed doors was the only one Rangers didn't win last season.
Alfredo Morelos' first goal against Celtic cancelled out Moi Elyounoussi's opener.
Who won the league? Rangers by a landslide. Their triumph was the earliest title win in Scottish football history.
The final count
Undefeated in third league encounter and winning the league since 2000 - 13
Losing the third league encounter and winning the league since 2000 - 4
