All eyes will be on Hampden Park on Sunday for an intriguing Old Firm as Celtic and Rangers battle for a place in the Scottish League Cup final.
Both sides have new managers but at different ends of the age scale, with 73-year-old Martin O’Neill in interim charge of Celtic while new 36-year-old Rangers boss Danny Röhl is preparing for his first Old Firm.
When these two clubs met in the League Cup last season, they produced a cracking final as Celtic won on penalties following a dramatic 3-3 draw after extra-time at Hampden Park.
There are so many storylines heading into Sunday’s game, so here’s the view from the two Glasgow giants…
O’Neill’s Old Firm experience
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Celtic interim boss Martin O’Neill reflects on his Old Firm dugout debut 25 years ago
Interim Celtic manager O’Neill aims to mastermind another seminal victory over Rangers – 25 years after his Old Firm debut paved the way for seismic change within Scottish football.
O’Neill introduced himself to Scotland’s biggest club fixture with a 6-2 win as doubles for Chris Sutton and Henrik Larsson stunned Dick Advocaat’s side.
Celtic went on to win the treble – despite losing 5-1 at Ibrox in the subsequent league meeting with Rangers – and have rarely looked back.
Having collected only three major trophies in the 1990s, Celtic have won 19 out of 25 titles and 23 cup competitions since O’Neill first arrived.
Looking back on a game dubbed ‘Demolition Derby’ by Celtic fans, O’Neill said: “Well, replicating that might be extremely difficult, scoring six goals against that side. I’d settle for a really lousy 1-0 victory if we could get it.
“Obviously fond memories, it was great. And it did give us a real springboard really, for that season. Because in November time, Rangers took us apart at Ibrox, but I think we had enough self-belief about us that we could withstand that and that’s what happened.
“Some lads come up and say to me, ‘That was a great game’, and they weren’t even born. They tell me their grandfathers and fathers were talking about it.
“It became a really pivotal match for us, not just that season, but probably for continuing on.”
‘Current circumstances make this an even bigger Old Firm’
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Highlights as Martin O’Neill led Celtic to a 4-0 win over Falkirk as he returned to the Parkhead dugout on an interim basis
Celtic fans have only endured three barren seasons since then and one coincided with a UEFA Cup final appearance under O’Neill.
Their current complaints centre around the board more than on-field issues but the former Republic of Ireland manager knows that victory at Hampden could have long-lasting impact.
“This is a big game for us,” he said. “Really, don’t disguise that at all. It’s a semi-final, it’s a big match for us. Any Celtic-Rangers game is a big game, but particularly given the circumstances of the recent days, if not weeks, absolutely.”
O’Neill feels no less invested in the fixture after reprising a managerial career which appeared to have ended when he left Nottingham Forest in 2019.
Explaining his feelings around derby games first time round, he said: “Just a nervousness for about 72 hours before, and then if you got the result, a great relief.
“And I think that’s what the great Walter Smith used to say about it as well, that it was relief more than anything else. But they were fantastic fixtures really. It’s still a fantastic fixture.”
When asked if he felt different this time around, he said: “Absolutely not. No, no, worse.
“By the time we had played Rangers, I think we had played five or six games, so I knew my players pretty well inside out at that stage.
“This is something I wouldn’t know about our boys. I learned a great deal at the Falkirk game, which was great for us. A restoration of confidence. So we’ll go into this game with that confidence and that’s the most important thing.
“It’s been intense for me to look at young faces and try to put them into context, into just about everything.
“Even if I was here a month or something, it would be really hard to gauge exactly what the players can do.”
Röhl’s ‘respect’ for O’Neill
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Danny Röhl admits it is “all or nothing” as he prepares for his first Old Firm as Rangers head coach
Rangers head coach Röhl tipped his hat to O’Neill’s longevity in football as he prepares to face the 73-year-old interim Celtic boss.
Röhl has enjoyed back-to-back league wins over Kilmarnock and Hibernian, after losing 3-0 away to Brann in the Europa League in his first game in charge following his recent appointment as Russell Martin’s successor.
The former Sheffield Wednesday boss has to find a way at Hampden Park in his first Old Firm game to outwit the vastly experienced O’Neill, who won 16 and drew three of 27 Glasgow derbies in his successful first spell in charge at Celtic between 2000 and 2005.
“I feel a big respect for such a coaching career,” said Röhl, who will be without suspended midfielder Connor Barron.
“I think it is always great as a manager when you work so long in this business and you are successful.
“I am just at the beginning of my career. I have a lot of work to do to come to this point but the good thing is we start at 0 0, different generations and let’s see what we can bring with our teams in this game.
“I am very excited. I have had some experience but I expect a big, big one on Sunday. To be part of such a game, it’s all or nothing. You win, you go into the final, you lose, you’re out. I think everything is on for a great, great game.”
‘This is more than just a game’
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Highlights as Rangers won 1-0 at Hibs to move up to third in the Scottish Premiership
The former Bayern Munich assistant has first-hand experience of derby games to draw upon.
He said: “I can remember when Hansi Flick took over (Bayern), our second game was at home against Dortmund. We won 4-0. It is always a booster if you win such a game.
“As well, in the Championship in the Steel City derby, I was also part there. I know what it means for the fans. This is more than just a game.”
Röhl revealed how his side were again boosted by the hard-fought 1-0 win over Hibs at Easter Road on Wednesday night.
He said: “A win would be a big result and we could cap a great week with three wins in a row, I think it would be fantastic.
“And, of course, you feel it today as well in a meeting room. You feel it on the pitch and a dressing room. At the moment, the positive energy is really big, the belief is there.
“We watched the game back in the morning. I showed them some clips of what we did, the effort we had in the game, willingness, character, good structure against the ball, and even in the second half, not always so much possession, but it doesn’t matter because they could not really break our last line and it was a great job.”
