Predicted Celtic XI vs Rangers: Stand-in AFC Bournemouth loanee to face Ibrox baptism of fire + four changes
How we think Martin O’Neill will set up his Celtic starting XI against Rangers for Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final tie
It’s a massive weekend for Celtic as they prepare to face Old Firm rivals Rangers for the second time in a week as both sides take a brief break from a nail-biting Premiership title race to contest a blockbuster Scottish Cup quarter-final clash at Ibrox.
Martin O’Neill’s men will be backed by an increased away allocation on this occasion, with the Hoops to have 7,500 travelling fans in attendance after being granted the full Broomloan Road stand by their Glasgow neighbours.
The two teams couldn’t be separated at the same venue last weekend in a classic game of two halves which saw the hosts race into a 2-0 lead before letting their lead slip after the break.
Midfielder Reo Hatate completed Celtic’s second half comeback in Govan by converting his late spot-kick at the third attempt following a brilliant double-save from Jack Butland.
Martin O’Neill on Rangers vs Celtic Scottish Cup tie
And O’Neill is bracing himself for another close encounter tomorrow, with the potential for the quarter-final showdown to go the distance.
“It’s absolutely important that you practice penalties,” the Irishman said. “Only because players need a feel of taking penalties. Does it replicate their walk-up and all that type? Nothing does that. But you've got to practise the penalties.
“If somebody has not taken penalty kicks then is asked to do it for the first time, then that is something. We will be practising. Spend most of the day doing it. I remember us having Joos Valgaeren away back.
“He took a penalty for us in the shootout against, was it Valencia? He missed by about three-quarters of the track. Then, unbelievably, he was allowed to take it again because the goalkeeper apparently had moved or something, and he missed again by three-quarters of the track.
“So you can't replicate it. I have forgiven him because he ended up doing great for us.”
How Celtic could line-up vs Rangers
O’Neill has some big decisions to make following his side’s hard-fought 2-1 win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Wednesday night, most notably who to start between the sticks.
Back-up keeper Viljami Sinisalo has staked a strong claim to retain the gloves ahead of an out-of-sorts Kasper Schmeichel, with the Finland international impressing during his recent auditions in Stuttgart, Ibrox and Pittodrie.
He produced a stunning point-blank save to deny Dons striker Kevin Nisbet in midweek and supporters are clamouring for Sinisalo to be first-choice for the remainder of the season ahead of error-prone Schmeichel, who has recovered fully from illness.
Others who may come into contention are attacking midfielder Benjamin Nygren, who came off the bench to score the winner against Aberdeen, winger James Forrest and inexperienced centre-half Benjamin Arthur who was drafted in as a last-minute replacement for the injured Dane Murray on Wednesday.
Celtic have concerns over the fitness of left-back Kieran Tierney, who sat out of Friday’s training session at Lennoxtown due to a foot injury sustained in midweek, while the future of January signing Joel Mvuka already looks bleak having found himself out of the picture and playing just 45 minutes of football since his arrival.
Here’s who we think will start for Celtic this weekend, with FOUR changes made to the side that emerged with three points in the North East.
Celtic predicted XI:
- Viljami Sinisalo - GK
- Julian Araujo - RB
- Benjamin Arthur - RCB
- Liam Scales - LCB
- Marcello Saracchi - LB
- Callum McGregor - CM
- Reo Hatate - CM
- Benjamin Nygren - CAM
- James Forrest - RW
- Daizen Maeda - LW
- Tomas Cvancara - CF
SUBS:
Kasper Schmeichel (GK), Junior Adamu, Yang Hyun-jun, Luke McCowan, Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sebastian Tounekti, Colby Donovan, Anthony Ralston.