Celtic and Rangers' combined starting XI including £11.7m-rated ace as one team dominates

Celtic have made a solid start to the new season and find themselves top of the table. The Hoops are hoping to retain their title under Brendan Rodgers.

As for Rangers, they are 3rd behind their Glasgow rivals and Aberdeen as they look to start picking up some more points over the coming weeks and months. Here is a look at a combined XI based on the highest ratings by football data website Transfermarkt...

GK: Jack Butland, Rangers, £2.5m

RB: Alistair Johnston, Celtic, £7.1m

CB: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Celtic, £11.7m

CB: Auston Trusty, Celtic, £5.8m

LB: Greg Taylor, Celtic, £6.25m

CM: Reo Hatate, Celtic, £8.3m

CM: Arne Engels, Celtic, £7.5m

RW: Vaclav Cerny, Rangers, £5.83m

LW: Daizen Maeda, Celtic, £5.83m

ST: Kyogo Furuhashi, Celtic, £11.6m

ST: Danilo, Rangers, £5m

Celtic have eight players out of the eleven, whilst Rangers make up the other three. Jack Butland sneaks in ahead of the Hoops’ summer signing Kasper Schmeichel.

It is an all-Celtic back four of Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty and Greg Taylor. They signed Trusty from Sheffield United last month and he said at the time: “I know Cam (Carter-Vickers) well. We played in the Under-20 World Cup together and we spent an entire month rooming together for that trip so I got to know him pretty well during that time. I’m looking forward to meeting all the guys as well. From what I’ve heard it’s a great environment around the club too so I’m looking forward to it. I feel ecstatic. It’s just such an historic and amazing club, and it’s a club I’ve known about since I was a little kid.”

The Hoops snapped up Arne Engels to replace Matt O’Riley, who was sold to Brighton and Hove Albion. Rodgers said: “He is an exciting young player of real quality who has already made his mark at a really high level in the Bundesliga. He has a wide range of attributes which will allow him to play a number of positions in midfield, so we feel he is an excellent acquisition for the Club. I think Arne’s style of play, his energy and his technical ability really will suit our game model.”

He is joined in the middle of the park by Reo Hatate. Daizen Maeda then plays off the left, with Rangers winger Vaclav Cerny cutting in from the ring onto his left foot. After luring him to Ibrox on loan from Wolfsburg, Philippe Clement said: “I am delighted to welcome Václav to the squad, he is an exciting player, with valuable experience in European football. He has already shown his attacking qualities during his time in the Eredivisie and at Wolfsburg and he will further strengthen our attacking options in the squad. I feel as a club and staff we can continue to help him as a player to reach new levels and I am excited to see what the season holds for him at Rangers.”

Up front, Kyogo Furuhashi is the second most expensive player in the team behind Carter-Vickers. He leads the line along with the Gers’ Danilo.