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Danny Röhl: While this is his first Old Firm, the new Rangers manager has made it clear this week that he’s used to being involved in other major rivalries as a coach, at Bayern Munich and Sheffield Wednesday:
I can remember when Hansi Flick took over, our second game was at home against Dortmund. We won 4-0. It is always a booster if you win such a game. As well, in the Championship in the Steel derby, I was also part [of it] there. I know what it means for the fans. This is more than just a game.
The 36-year-old German has also been lauding 73-year-old Martin O’Neill’s longevity:
I feel a big respect for such a coaching career. I think it is always great as a manager when you work so long in this business and you are successful.
I am just at the beginning of my career. I have a lot of work to do to come to this point but the good thing is we start at 0-0, different generations and let’s see what we can bring with our teams in this game.
I am very excited. I have had some experience but I expect a big, big one on Sunday. To be part of such a game, it’s all or nothing. You win, you go into the final, you lose, you’re out. I think everything is on for a great, great game.
Martin O’Neill: The Celtic interim manager has this week been reminiscing about his first meeting with Rangers 25 years ago, the 6-2 ‘Demolition Derby’:
Well, replicating that might be extremely difficult, scoring six goals against that side. I’d settle for a really lousy 1-0 victory if we could get it. Some lads come up and say to me: ‘That was a great game’, and they weren’t even born. They tell me their grandfathers and fathers were talking about it. It became a really pivotal match for us, not just that season, but probably for continuing on.
The nervousness for about 72 hours before, and then if you got the result, a great relief. And I think that’s what the great Walter Smith used to say about it as well, that it was relief more than anything else. But they were fantastic fixtures really. It’s still a fantastic fixture.
This is a big game for us. Really, don’t disguise that at all. It’s a semi-final, it’s a big match for us. Any Celtic-Rangers game is a big game, but particularly given the circumstances of the recent days, if not weeks, absolutely.
Two new managers in the dugouts today but there’s a big gap in Old Firm experience between them. Danny Röhl is experiencing his first as Rangers manager while Martin O’Neill is about to take charge of his 28th.
Today’s result could have a major impact on how long O’Neill’s second spell as (interim, for now) Celtic boss lasts, as Ewan Murray has been pondering:
Celtic could pay £5m in compensation to coax Kieran McKenna from Ipswich. They could take an even bigger gamble on Robbie Keane. The Scottish champions may opt to give Club Brugge’s Nicky Hayen a first taste of British football. These are all gambles in their own way. Even more than O’Neill? This is debatable.
Starting lineups
Celtic (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Ralston, Trusty, Scales, Sarrachi; McGregor, Engels, Nygren; Maeda, Kenny, Tounekti.
Subs: Sinisalo, Balikwisha, Yang, Osmand, McCowan, Hatate, Murray, Forrest, Tierney.
Marcelo Sarrachi starts ahead of Kieran Tierney at left-back. James Forrest also drops out of the XI that beat Falkirk in midweek.
Rangers (3-4-3): Butland; Djiga, Souttar, Cornelius; Tavernier, Diomande, Raskin, Meghoma; Aasgaard, Chermiti, Danilo.
Subs: Kelly, Aarons, Fernández, Rothwell, Antman, Moore, Gassama, Curtis, Miovski.
James Tavernier gets the nod over Max Aarons on the right, with Mohamed Diomande coming in for the suspended Connor Barron in the middle and Thelo Aasgaard preferred to Mikey Moore in attack.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the Old Firm. It’s got to be better than last time, right? Rangers and Celtic last met at the start of September in a goalless draw that yielded just nine shots in total, a combined expected goals of 0.34 and just the three yellow cards.
In the dugouts at Ibrox that day were Russell Martin and Brendan Rodgers. It all looks very different now. Danny Röhl and Martin O’Neill are the men in charge for this League Cup semi-final at Hampden Park, the first signing a two-and-a-half year deal at Rangers and the latter employed by Celtic on an interim basis at the start of this week two decades after his first spell in charge.
The winners today will head through to play St Mirren in the final on 14 December, with Celtic hoping to defend the title they won for the 22nd time last year.
Kick-off is at 2pm (GMT) and we will have extra time and penalties if necessary, so strap in.
