Neil McCann
Former Scotland and Rangers winger on BBC Sportsound

Last season the points were shared evenly between the Glasgow rivals, with both sides picking up two home wins.

How much of that was down to the change of ticketing policy, with away fans reduced to a mere 800 or so from the 7,000 we had before?

It definitely detracts from the spectacle, with the travelling support completely drowned out at both stadiums, but is it a key factor in deciding the outcome? After all, it's the same for every other side visiting Ibrox or Celtic Park.

Rangers made their decision based on increased season ticket sales following Steven Gerrard's appointment last summer, Celtic responded in tit-for-tat fashion and it doesn't look like changing any time soon.

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Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is happy with the start his side have made to the season but knows there is a long road ahead.

"We spoke at the end of last season and the beginning of this season about being hungry," he explained this week.

"We spoke about finding a better level of consistency and, so far, the evidence has been there that we are more consistent.

"But we are not in a position where we should be patting ourselves on the back. Sure, we deserve credit for qualifying two years in a row for the Europa League group stage - but there is a long way to go.

"The next step and the next challenge is: Can we win something? That’s the hardest part."

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All of the major bookmakers make Rangers favourites for this one and that's just fine by Celtic boss Neil Lennon.

"We are in goal-scoring form, we are winning games convincingly, so it's not bad being underdogs with the way we are playing at the minute - I'll take that," he said at his pre-match media conference.

"We are in powerful form, particularly going forward. The defence is looking like players are getting more familiar with their surroundings."

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Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland

Noteworthy absences and inclusions in both line-ups. Jon Flanagan preferred to Borna Barisic at left back for Rangers, perhaps as a result of the head knock the Croatian took on Thursday, but a big test for Flanagan up against James Forrest.

Glen Kamara comes into the midfield for Sheyi Ojo with Joe Aribo presumably playing a touch further forward behind Jermain Defoe, who gets the nod ahead of Thursday's match-winner Alfredo Morelos.

Hatem Elhamed plays despite Neil Lennon revealing he has a hairline fracture in his side in a defence that also includes Nir Bitton as an auxiliary centre back and Boli Bolingoli making his Old Firm debut. The Celtic midfield and strikeforce is pretty much full strength.

Rangers have the upper hand in defence and Celtic dominate the battle for midfield places...

The results are in from our combined Old Firm XI and this is how the most popular team looks, with five from the Ibrox side joining six from the defending champions.

Celtic winger James Forrest was the leading choice, closely followed by Rangers captain James Tavernier.

Three of the XI are not starting today...

Celtic boss Neil Lennon gave short shrift to reporters asking if this game was a "marker" for the rest of the season, insisting it is far too early to read much into the outcome.

"That's just rubbish all that talk," he said. "It's the fourth game of the season. There's another 34 to go after that. You can ask me that maybe around February/March when we will have some sort of idea of where we are in the table. But after four games...

"We get too hysterical too early and it's almost game by game, every performance gets analysed to death. To say it's a marker, a defining moment in the season, sorry I'm not buying into that talk."

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Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has been full of praise for his players so far this season but he also has plenty of admiration for today's visitors.

“We have experienced beating Celtic on a couple of occasions and going close to beating them, even at Celtic Park in the second away fixture last season," he said earlier this week.

"Having said that, we still know Celtic come as a fantastic team with really good players.

"They are in a good place themselves, they are playing with confidence and scoring heavily. It is set up for a fantastic match.

"Just because we have more belief and confidence about ourselves doesn’t mean our respect for Celtic changes. We still know they are the team to beat, the team to catch.

“But if we find a performance close to our maximum, any team that comes to Ibrox is going to find it tough to beat us."

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James McFadden
Former Scotland forward

The Celtic defensive performance at home to Cluj has raised some doubts about their ability to be champions again. But their 6-1 aggregate win against AIK, to reach the Europa League, is a great response and has to be a massive confidence booster.

Billy Dodds
Former Rangers striker

Rangers will start on the front foot. They've won the last two Old Firm games at Ibrox by pressing the living daylights out of Celtic and they'll be looking to get in their faces again, releasing midfielders to press the Celtic back four.

The shape Steven Gerrard has used to such good effect recently won't change. He asks the two in behind the striker to play infield to release the full-backs, but when Rangers lose possession they shuttle out to close down the opposition full-backs.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has perhaps sprung a surprise by dropping Alfredo Morelos to the bench despite the Colombian's winning goal against Legia Warsaw on Thursday.

It means a start for veteran former England striker Jermain Defoe in the lone role up front.

Morelos drops to the bench along with Sheyi Ojo, who played through the pain barrier at Ibrox in the Europa League play-off, and the on-loan Liverpool winger's place goes to Glen Kamara,. The former Dundee man usually plays a more central role.

Also on the bench is Borna Barisic, who picked up a head knock against the Poles, with the more defensive former Liverpool defender, Jon Flanagan, starting in the Croat's place at left-back.

Craig Gordon said he would get a better idea of where he stood in Neil Lennon's pecking order when the team to face Rangers was announced - and now he knows.

Former England goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who has returned on loan from Southampton, is preferred to the veteran Scotland cap.

As expected, Kristoffer Ajer is missing from defence after the Norway centre-half went off with a groin problem in Thursday's Europa League win over AIK.

That means a start for Hatem Abed Elhamed, who was also an injury doubt, and a place on the bench for new boy Moritz Bauer.

Otherwise, manager Lennon sticks with the side that performed so well in Sweden.

Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Katic, Flanagan, Jack, Davis, Kamara, Aribo, Arfield, Defoe.

Substitutes: Foderingham, Helander, Morelos, Barisic, King, Jones, Ojo.

Celtic: Forster, Elhamed, Jullien, Bitton, Bolingoli, Brown, McGregor, Forrest, Christie, Johnston, Edouard.

Substitutes: Gordon, Bauer, Hayes, Ntcham, Bayo, Morgan, Griffiths.

The first Old Firm derby of the season is upon us, with a high noon showdown at Ibrox.

Can Rangers win a third consecutive derby at Ibrox and a third derby in four? Will the champions reinforce their domestic dominance as they strive for a record-equalling ninth consecutive title?

Both sides have maximum points after three league outings. Celtic have scored 15 goals to Rangers' nine.

Nobody is expecting a dull 0-0...

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