Celtic Prepares for Derby Clash Against Rangers at Ibrox

By the time Celtic left Lennoxtown on Friday morning, the mood around the training pitches had already shifted from early-season rhythm to derby edge.

The first meeting with Rangers of the campaign is on the horizon, a League Cup quarter-final at Ibrox on Sunday with a noon kick-off, and every drill, every sprint, every passing pattern carried that extra bite that only this fixture brings.

Celtic arrive at this stage with a flawless domestic record, a 100 per cent start that has built confidence but also expectation. That perfect run is no longer just a statistic; it is a standard the squad are determined to defend in the most hostile of environments.

At Lennoxtown, the focus narrowed. Shape work, pressing triggers, quick combinations under pressure – all geared towards the specific demands of Ibrox, where time on the ball shrinks and small mistakes grow into big moments. Players moved through sessions with a sharpness that betrayed the significance of what lies ahead.

This is not just a cup tie. A place in the semi-finals is at stake, but so is the first psychological marker of the season between the Glasgow rivals. Win, and Celtic extend their domestic momentum while landing the opening blow in the derby narrative. Lose, and that perfect record vanishes in the one fixture where defeat always lingers longest.

Sunday’s kick-off at 12:00 will bring the noise, the colour, and the familiar crackle of tension across the city. Celtic’s answer to that will come from the work banked in these quieter hours at Lennoxtown, where a faultless start to the season meets its sternest examination yet.