NafisaJohn Hartson believes Celtic already have a very clear idea of the physical challenge Rangers will bring into Sunday’s derby clash at Celtic Park.
The former Hoops striker pointed back to the dramatic 2-2 draw at Ibrox in March as evidence of the threat Rangers can still carry when they play with aggression, intensity and attack Celtic head-on.
That afternoon started dangerously for Celtic.
Rangers raced into a two-goal advantage before the interval and repeatedly troubled Celtic through their power, pressing and direct approach. O’Neill’s side found it difficult to deal with second balls and physical battles during the early stages, particularly deep inside their own territory.
Although Celtic eventually recovered after half-time, Hartson believes Rangers showed enough that day to remind everyone how demanding this fixture becomes whenever Celtic allow themselves to get overpowered physically.
The context heading into this weekend also feels important.
Celtic arrive into Sunday on the back of five consecutive league victories, with momentum beginning to build again during the closing weeks of the title race. Rangers, on the other hand, have dropped points since that derby encounter at Ibrox and no longer look as steady as they once did.
Still, Hartson feels the physical side of the contest could once again play a huge role in deciding the outcome.
The former Celtic forward understands these matches better than most. During Martin O’Neill’s first spell in charge, Hartson featured in some of the fiercest and most hostile derby battles of that generation.
He sees shades of those teams in this current Rangers side.
He said: (Daily Record), “Celtic have won five on the bounce so they’ve got a little bit of momentum going in. It will still be a tough game, because I think a couple of weeks ago, when Rangers went 2-0 up against Celtic at Ibrox, they looked strong.
“They were committed and they looked powerful. They had big boys getting forward and bullying Celtic. I mean bullying, like our team used to do.
“We had big boys, you know. Especially defensively, you look at Johan Mjallby, and boys like myself and it was great in the end.
“Rangers have that big, strong unit, but ever since that derby they’ve lost two. It will be about who holds there nerve the best.”
Celtic will likely take encouragement from the way they responded during that meeting in March.
Once Reo Hatate and Sebastian Tounekti started driving into midfield areas with more aggression, the momentum slowly shifted back towards O’Neill’s men. Celtic raised the tempo, competed harder physically and eventually stopped reacting to Rangers’ intensity.
That balance is expected to matter again this weekend.
The tactical side of derby matches is always important, but fixtures at this stage of a title battle are often shaped by mentality, physical duels and who handles pressure moments best.
Hartson clearly feels Celtic cannot afford another sluggish opening period.
Arne Engels and Alistair Johnston also appear likely to return this time, which would give Celtic an added physical edge across the pitch.
Engels brings mobility, drive and athleticism in midfield, while Johnston’s aggression and recovery speed offer Celtic another player capable of coping when Rangers turn the match into an open, chaotic battle.
Nafisa
