Record awaits Glasgow giants in Old Firm face-off

Only goal difference separates Celtic from Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League as the two Glasgow giants prepare to meet at Parkhead in the first Old Firm derby of the season on Sunday.

Both sides have had a 100 per cent winning start to their league campaigns as they opened up an 11 point gap on third placed Motherwell.

Celtic, Hearts and Rangers have all previously won eight games at the start of a season but a new Scottish record beckons for one side of the Old Firm divide if they can finish the game victorious.

The Glasgow derby is nothing new to veteran Rangers manager Walter Smith and his squad with only Vladimir Weiss and James Beattie the only two in his squad not to have experienced the match.

However it is a different story at Parkhead where as many as nine of the Hoops line-up could be making their debut in the fiery fixture.

One of those who could feature is summer signing Anthony Stokes and the Irish striker says despite their inexperience the Celtic players will not be content to sit back and settle for a draw.

“Everyone can see we are a team which likes to attack and Sunday will be no different,” Stokes said.

“We have just got to go out there and perform the way we have in our previous eight league games.

“As a team we’ve managed to grind out results as well as enjoying some good victories. Old Firm matches are obviously different to the other games, but hopefully we can get the ball down and play the attacking football we have in all our previous games this term.

“We’ve managed to win our opening eight league games and Rangers have done the same, so it means we’ll be going into this one on exactly the same points.

“I’m not sure that has happened for quite a while, but it makes it interesting. We just want to go out, perform to the best of our ability and hopefully take the three points.”

Neil Lennon will be taking charge of just his second Old Firm match as manager, having featured in many as a player, and came out with a 2-1 win in his first at the end of last season after Rangers had clinched the title.

He will be without captain Scott Brown and midfielder Beram Kayal for the match through injury.

His opposite number at Ibrox has had some better news and will welcome back Kirk Broadfoot and Lee McCulloch after time on the sidelines but summer signing Nikica Jelavic is out.

Rangers ran themselves into the ground on Wednesday as they claimed a 1-1 draw with Spanish cracks Valencia at Ibrox in the Champions League but defender Steven Whittaker denies the players will show signs of tiredness.

“I don’t see fatigue as a factor for the Celtic game,” Whittaker said.

“We will be well rested and we are still going into the derby unbeaten in the SPL and with a 100 per cent record.

“We also have to take stock of just how well we played against one of the best teams in Europe and so our belief is high and our mentality will be positive.”

Sunday

Celtic v Rangers (1145)