Despite their lack of top-flight experience recently, Rodgers still expects Rangers to be Celtic’s closest title challengers this year and is therefore wanting to send a message to the rest of the Premiership with a big win in the Old Firm.
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Celtic prepare to square off against Rangers in the first Scottish Premier League Old Firm derby in first yours and the match has understandably attracted a lot of interest in Scotland as well as around Europe.
The league leaders are now four points clear of Rangers with an additional league fixture in hand.
“It’s the same scenario as last season in terms of being underdogs, we had analysis with the players and it’s been pointed out by many of them”.
Whilst you may not be sitting in the dugout at Celtic Park this weekend, you have the opportunity to play manager with DraftKings and win some of subsequent cash prizes on offer this weekend.
“I don’t think I’ve ever supported Celtic”, the Rangers midfielder told Four Four Two magazine.
Rangers may have won the tie last season on penalties, but that was a shell of a Celtic side beleaguered and downtrodden which had seemingly had enough of Ronny Deila, John Collins and their methods.
Rodgers, who confirmed that Griffiths is out for the Champions League game against Barcelona in midweek, while skipper Scott Brown will be monitored after picking up a knock, said: “It is ironic”. “We don’t see a major gulf”.
“And this time being the first time in the number of years there has been a Celtic-Rangers game at Celtic Park then, of course, that is going to add that little bit of spice to it”. We are much better than we showed today.
“Anyone you play will have their spells whether they are trying to get back into a game or are trying to hold on to a result”.
Rangers boss Mark Warburton has stated that he hopes to use the underdogs to his team’s advantage, as was the case in last season’s Scottish Cup semi-final.
Soon after signing for the Ibrox club in the summer, the Englishman raised eyebrows when he was so dismissive of Brown, claiming that he was “nowhere near his level”.
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Asked who came out on top in their duel, he replied: “I think the scoreline talks for itself”.
