They are already under way at Hamilton and Tannadice, with a staggered start elsewhere in the Premiership's afternoon games.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is full of praise for his "worthy winners" at Celtic Park.

"We've put in a really controlled, professional performance," he tells Sky Sports. "I don't think we were at our fluent best, but we've come here and controlled the game with and without the ball. Allan McGregor hasn't really been tested.

"Celtic threw everything at us. They started with Klimala, brought on Griffiths - who has scored in this game before - Ajeti and Turnbull, good players worth a lot of money.

"That's where I'm most pleased with my team - we controlled everything Celtic threw at us and managed the game really well.

"We could maybe have scored more. There will be no getting carried away. We need to remain humble."

Image source, SNS

Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland

The New Firm derby used to be among the most attractive, and eagerly anticipated, fixtures in the Scottish football calendar.

This afternoon it makes a welcome return as Dundee United and Aberdeen go head-to-head in the league for the first time in four and a half years.

It is an encounter that conjures up memories of their early 80s glory days, when the two sides were regularly jousting for honours.

While times may have changed, the 2020 edition of the fixture should be no less intriguing.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland at Tony Macaroni Arena

Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer will no doubt be delighted that many of his regulars are able to return for the visit Livingston. It's been a strange time for all at Rugby Park, but there has been little sympathy from the West Lothian club, who turned down a request to move the game to next midweek.

Ross County are another top-flight side who have got back to winning ways thanks to the League Cup.

However, a 3-3 draw away to League Two side Montrose showed their recent vulnerability at the back before Tuesday's 2-1 win at home to Championship side Arbroath.

Third-top Hibs have used the competition to build up a four-game winning run, their most recent two on the road, albeit narrowly away to two League One sides - Cove Rangers and Forfar Athletic. In contrast, County have lost three at home in the league.

Livingston have used League Cup wins over Edinburgh City and Alloa Athletic to put a difficult start to the season behind them with a four-game winning run.

The opposite has been the case for Covid-19 hit Kilmarnock, following two successive league wins with having to concede defeat to Falkirk in the League Cup then being humbled 3-0 at home to Championship side Dunfermline Athletic in midweek.

Livi have also won their last two home games against Kilmarnock, who haven't won at Almondvale in three visits now.

Both teams will hope that victories in the League Cup that ended poor runs will kick-start their seasons with only goal difference separating them at the foot of the Premiership.

Hamilton ended a run of four games without a win by edging out Championship side Ayr United 2-1 last weekend, while St Johnstone had lost four in a row before a narrow win over Lowland League champions Kelty Hearts and a 7-0 hammering of League Two strugglers Brechin City.

Saints lie bottom of the table but will also arrive with some confidence having beaten Accies in their two meetings last season.

Dundee United ended a run of two home defeats - but only just - in midweek, with Ryan Edwards' headed goal giving them a win over Lowland League champions Kelty Hearts in their League Cup group. That came after a shock 1-0 defeat by League One side Peterhead.

Mickey Mellon's side have also only won one of their latest six league games, losing four of them.

So they will need to regain their early season promise against a fourth-top Aberdeen side who have recovered from two defeats with two victories and have won all four of their domestic away games without losing a goal - their only defeat coming narrowly to Sporting Lisbon in Europa League qualifying.

Queen's Park's big-spending ambitions make the Glasgow side favourites for the League Two title after turning professional on the back of selling Hampden Park to the Scottish FA. After narrow defeats away to sides from higher divisions, their first league test comes away to Stirling Albion.

Elgin City showed the best League Cup form from the fourth tier and they visit relegated Stranraer, while bedraggled Brechin City will be glad to put the group stage behind them as they host Edinburgh City after conceding 16 goals in three games.

'Queen's Park on cusp of something big'

Image source, SNS

Two-goal hero Connor Goldson says Rangers' tried and tested formation was key to their dominant victory.

"We've worked on the shape for two years now and played against some top teams with the same formation," he tells Sky Sports. "The new lads have bought into it and it works for us in big games. We know what we're doing.

"We didn't do ourselves justice after we won here last time. We were poor after the winter break, so hopefully this win gives us the confidence we need to put a run together."

On his scoring heroics - his first Old Firm goals - Goldson adds: "I was happy with the first and then the second I was even more pleased because at 1-0 anything can happen and 2-0 settled it down."

Image source, SNS

Hamilton Academical: Fulton, Odoffin, McMann, Want, Hodson, Callachan, Munro, Templeton, Moyo, Ogkmpoe

Substitutes: Gourlay, Stirling, Collar, Trafford, Hughes, Mimnaugh, C. Smith, Owolabi, Johnson

St Johnstone: Clark, Kerr, Gordon, McCart, Tanser, McNamara, Davidson, McCann, Conway, Wotherspoon, May

Substitutes: Parish, Rooney, Booth, Craig, Bryson, Hendry, Kane O'Halloran

Title favourites Falkirk and Partick Thistle begin their League One campaigns away from home - the Bairns at Montrose, while the Jags are in Cumbernauld to face old derby foes Clyde.

Airdrieonians could give a league debut from the bench to Thomas Robert at home to Peterhead after the son of former France and Newcastle United winger Laurent earned his first start in the midweek League Cup win over Stenhousemuir following his summer move from Montpellier.

You can read Robert's story here.

Image source, John Stevens/Airdrieonians FC

Hearts were already favourites for the Championship title and a quick return to the top flight, but last night's opening hammering of Dundee, fancied to be their closest challengers, sent a signal to the rest who play catch-up today.

Covid-19 has already put spanner in the works at Queen of the South, who take the field away to Ayr United under the charge of senior players Stephen Dobbie and Willie Gibson after manager Allan Johnston and his coaching staff had to go into self-isolation following a positive test.

In-form Dunfermline Athletic host Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the game of the day, while promoted Raith Rovers start their campaign hosting Arbroath.

Hearts thump Dundee to lay down marker

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Goalkeeper Robby McCrorie and midfielder Steve Lawson, plus defender Ciaron Brown, are back from international duty for Livingston.

But only Rangers on-loan stopper McCrorie is in the starting line-up as Gary Holt makes five changes from the 2-1 League Cup win over Alloa Athletic.

Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, Craig Sibbald and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas all drop to the bench, with Josh Mullin out of the squad altogether. In come Jon Guthrie, Jason Holt, Scott Robinson and Scott Tiffoney.

Alex Dyer welcomes the remainder of his Kilmarnock squad back from a 14-day stint in self-isolation, and that leads to almost a new team from the 3-0 defeat by Dunfermline Athletic.

Only Gary Dicker, and Aaron Tshibola and Nicke Kabamba retain their place in the starting line-up from that game.

Image source, SNS

Ross County make six changes to the side that beat Arbroath in the League Cup.

Ross Doohan replaces Ross Laidlaw in goal, while Billy Mckay and Jermaine Hylton both drop to the bench. Harry Paton, Iain Vigurs and Michael Gardyne all return to the starting line-up.

They are without left-back Josh Reid, who is self-isolating after coming into close contact with Scotland Under-19 coach Billy Stark, while defender Callum Morris and midfielder Ross Draper are both out injured.

Image source, SNS

New signing Kyle Magennis makes his first league start for Hibs after joining from St Mirren on transfer deadline day.

Alex Gogic, Ofir Marciano, Ryan Porteous, Paul McGinn and Paul Hanlon all return from international duty and go straight into the starting line-up.

Left-back Josh Doig also misses out after having to self-isolate following his spell with Scotland Under-19s.

Fellow left-back Lewis Stevenson and midfielder Joe Newell come back into the side after missing the midweek cup tie against Forfar through injury.

Goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist returns for the home side after missing four games with a groin injury in place of Deniz Mehmet, while Lawrence Shankland is the only other change from their narrow League Cup win over Kelty Hearts during the week, replacing Louis Appere up front.

Scotland striker Marc McNulty could make his long-awaited debut from the bench after building up his fitness on loan from Reading, but the game has come too soon for Cameroon midfielder Jeando Fuchs, whose quarantine period since signing from Alaves only ended on Friday.

Image source, SNS

Goalkeeper Gary Woods is on the bench for the visitors following his loan move from Oldham Athletic.

There is only one change to the line-up from Aberdeen's 2-1 win over St Mirren, with Connor McLennan starting in place of winger Niall McGinn.

Livingston: McCrorie, Devlin, Ambrose, Guthrie, Serrano, Bartley, Holt, Pittman, Forrest, Robinson, Tiffoney

Substitutes: Stryjek, Taylor-Sinclair, Brown, Fitzwater, Lawson, Sibbald, Lokotsch, Poplatnik, Emmanuel-Thomas

Kilmarnock: Rogers, Ibsen Rossi, Broadfoot, Dikamona, Waters, Power, Dicker, Tshibola, Burke, Kiltie, Kabamba

Substitutes: Doyle, Haunstrup, Brindley, Mulumbu, Pinnock, McKenzie, Brophy, Cameron, Whitehall

Dundee United: Siegrist, Bolton, Edwards, Connolly, Reynolds, Robson, Pawlett, Butcher, Harkes, Shankland, Clark.

Substitutes: Mehmet, L. Smith, Powers, McNulty, C. Smith, Chalmers, Fotheringham, Appere, Neilson.

Aberdeen: Lewis, Hoban, Taylor, Considine, Hedges, McCrorie, Ferguson, Hayes, Wright, Watkins, McLennan.

Substitutes: Woods, Logan, Ojo, McGinn, McGeouch, Hernandez, Edmondson, Ngwenya, Ramsay.

Ross County: Doohan, Randall, Donaldson, Iacovitti, Watson, Charles-Cook, Lakin, Gardyne, Vigurs, Paton, Stewart.

Substitutes: Laidlaw, Tremarco, O'Connor, Grivosti, Kelly, Tillson, Hylton, Mckay, Shaw.

Hibernian: Marciano, P. McGinn, Porteous, Hanlon, Stevenson, Boyle, Gogic, Newell, Magennis, Doidge, Nisbet.

Substitutes: Barnes, Gray, McGregor, Mackie, S. McGinn, Hallberg, Mallan, Shanley, Gullan.