Celtic’s Dominance and Cerny’s Rise at Rangers

Having decisively defeated the Dons in their semi-final match, followed by a 3-1 victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League, Celtic once again appears to be a consistently formidable team. While Brendan Rodgers may not have entirely convinced some observers last season despite ultimately securing the league title, his squad’s recent outstanding performances are helping to dispel unfavorable comparisons to Celtic under former manager Ange Postecoglou. Although they suffered a significant 7-1 loss away to Borussia Dortmund, the team has overcome this setback by remaining undefeated in seven subsequent games. Despite one of these being Aberdeen’s two-goal comeback to draw at Celtic Park, this run has culminated in their two most impressive displays of the season. Indeed, it has been 25 domestic matches since their last defeat, which occurred against Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle in March. They are set to travel to Rugby Park on Sunday, having won all five of their away league fixtures this season. Celtic comfortably secured a 4-0 win when Kilmarnock visited Glasgow in August and delivered a 5-0 thrashing on their last trip to Ayrshire in May, suggesting that Derek McInnes’ side is unlikely to offer substantial resistance this time either. However, Kilmarnock is unbeaten in four home games and will draw encouragement from their last outing at Rugby Park, where a single goal secured a victory against the other Old Firm club. This result intensified pressure on Rangers manager Philippe Clement and propelled McInnes to the top of the bookmakers’ odds as the Belgian’s probable successor. In fact, Celtic returned home defeated in their two other visits last season—once in the Premiership and once in the League Cup—and were also held to a draw at Celtic Park. The upcoming match could prove to be an exciting encounter. The selection of players for Rangers’ Sunday fixture against Heart of Midlothian is expected to be almost as compelling as the game and its outcome. Long-serving captain James Tavernier was relegated to the bench for Thursday’s Europa League draw with Olympiakos, with Neraysho Kasanwirjo subsequently preferred as a replacement right-back for Dujon Sterling during the second half. Clement attributed this decision to managing the game time of the ageing Englishman and the necessity of having more than one captain, as goalkeeper Jack Butland was given the armband. Nonetheless, this development has fueled speculation regarding Tavernier’s future in the team, particularly as his renowned contributions in goals and assists are reportedly no longer outweighing his frequently mentioned defensive weaknesses amid a challenging start to the season for his side. Vaclav Cerny has taken on the role as Rangers’ most potent attacking force. Earlier in the season, Clement’s medical team advised against deploying the Czech Republic winger in so many consecutive games. However, it would be difficult to exclude a player who has scored four goals in his five home Premiership appearances, including three in his last two matches. This is especially pertinent given that Hearts have held Rangers to draws in their two most recent meetings and arrive having received commendation for their performance despite a 2-0 home loss to Heidenheim in the Conference League. Furthermore, under Neil Critchley, they have accumulated seven points in four league games, matching the total from the 12 games preceding his appointment as head coach. Regardless of Cerny’s and Tavernier’s participation, Rangers, currently third in the league, will begin as strong favorites against the second-bottom side. This is due to their domestic record of seven consecutive home victories this season and an unbeaten streak of 16 meetings against Hearts, including 12 wins, both overall and at Ibrox.