Celtic and Rangers will rekindle the biggest rivalry in Scotland and one of the most historic in world football when they lock horns at Parkhead for their Scottish Premiership clash on Wednesday night.
The two most successful clubs in Glasgow have faced off on 426 occasions, dating back to their very first meeting in 1888, and there has been little to separate them with Rangers edging out Celtic with 167 wins to the latter's 159.
Over the years, the Old Firm derby has notably been a fiery contest, which engrosses football fans across the globe, and both sets of players are set to face yet another hostile atmosphere from their passionate supporters.
Celtic head into Wednesday's encounter two points behind league leaders and current holders Rangers, who dropped points for the second successive league game when they drew a six-goal thriller away at Ross County over the weekend.
Ahead of the eagerly-anticipated midweek fixture, Sports Mole takes a look at five memorable encounters between the two clubs.
Celtic 4-2 Rangers – Scottish Premier Division, May 1979
The night 10 men won the league http://t.co/3jptdzPsnO (NM) pic.twitter.com/BJP0OgJcAY
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) May 21, 2015
The winner-takes-all clash dubbed 'the night 10 men won the league' will go down in history as one of Celtic's most memorable in Scottish football. After an intense two-month delay to the domestic campaign due to wintery conditions between January and February, the rescheduled 1979 Old Firm derby at Parkhead was Celtic's final fixture of the campaign and one they simply had to win to reclaim the top-flight title from Rangers.
The Hoops' hopes of success were seemingly slipping away when they fell behind to a goal in the ninth minute from Alex McDonald, and their night got even worse when Johnny Doyle was dismissed for a swipe at McDonald shortly after the break.
However, despite being down to 10 men, the Hoops fought back valiantly with strikes from Roy Aitken and George McCluskey putting them ahead, before Bobby Russell equalised for the Gers.
Rangers were clinging on for a point, which would have been enough for them to secure the title, but it was Celtic who had the last laugh as a Colin Jackson own-goal saw the Hoops retake the lead before Murdo McLeod's last-minute strike sent Parkhead into pandemonium, to give Billy McNeill his first league title as Celtic manager in his first season at the helm.
Rangers 5-1 Celtic – Scottish Premiership, August 1988
Ray Wilkins scores a stunning volley against Celtic in August 1988. The Gers would go on to record a 5-1 battering pic.twitter.com/noYhhWwbiG
— Rangers News Feed (@RangersNewsFeed) April 14, 2016
Just three games into the new season, Rangers laid down a marker to title rivals and holders Celtic as they came away with all three points in comfortable fashion at Ibrox.
The Gers did not get off to the best of starts as Frank McAvennie gave the Hoops the lead inside the first five minutes, but the hosts quickly responded with Ally McCoist's equaliser. Then, a stunning 20-yard volley from Ray Wilkins put Rangers in front 10 minutes before half time, before the floodgates opened in the second half.
McCoist's second of the game was followed by strikes from Kevin Drinkell and Mark Walters, which sealed Rangers' biggest victory over their bitter rivals in nearly 30 years. Graeme Souness's side went on to win the 1988-89 title, which was the first of nine in succession to mark an era of dominance at the summit of Scottish football.
Celtic 6-2 Rangers – Scottish Premiership, August 2000
© Reuters
Martin O'Neill could not have asked for a better beginning or a more dramatic introduction to the Old Firm derby as his Celtic side thrashed Dick Advocaat's Rangers 6-2 in an action-packed encounter at Parkhead.
Celtic raced into a three-goal lead within the first 11 minutes thanks to strikes from Chris Sutton, Stiliyan Petrov and Paul Lambert – the former netting the fastest Old Firm goal after just 51 seconds, a record which he broke again two years later.
Claudio Reyna pulled one back five minutes before half time to give the Gers hope; however, Celtic restored their three-goal advantage when man-of-the-match Henrik Larsson scored one of the greatest Old Firm goals of all time with his exquisite second-half chip from the edge of the box.
After Billy Dodds netted another consolation goal for Rangers, Larsson headed in his second goal of the match, before Sutton added a second of his own and Celtic's sixth to record their biggest win against the Gers since the 7-1 Scottish League Cup final triumph back in 1957.
Rangers 3-2 Celtic – Scottish Cup final, May 2002
© Reuters
The 14th and most recent Scottish Cup showpiece event between Rangers and Celtic has proven to be one of the most captivating finals of the century, with Gers striker Peter Lovenkrands writing his name in the history books with a crucial brace at Hampden Park.
Lovenkrands equalised just two minutes after John Hartson's header broke the deadlock in the 19th minute, before a brilliant 69th-minute free kick from Barry Ferguson cancelled out Bobo Balde's earlier header which had put the Hoops back in front.
The 117th Scottish Cup final was seemingly heading towards extra time; however, a last-minute winner from Lovenkrands, heading home from close range, helped Alex McLeish's Rangers snatch victory from their rivals to claim their 30th Scottish Cup trophy.
Rangers 2-2 Celtic (Rangers win 5-4 on penalties) – Scottish Cup semi-final, April 2016
© Reuters
Less than two weeks after securing the Championship title and returning to the top-flight – following their financial implosion and subsequent demotion – Rangers pulled off a Scottish Cup semi-final upset when they beat Celtic on penalties.
A frantic and enthralling 120 minutes of football was played out at Hampden Park, with Old Firm great Kenny Miller breaking the deadlock for the Gers in normal time against his former club, before Erik Sviatchenko headed in an equaliser five minutes after the break.
Extra time was then required which saw a spectacular long-range strike from Barrie McKay put Rangers back in front; however, Celtic fought back again when Tom Rogic swept in a left-footed equaliser to send the tie to penalties, the first between the two teams for over 40 years.
Rogic soon went from hero to villain as he blazed over the decisive spot kick to send Mark Warburton's Rangers to the Scottish Cup final. The Gers, however, went on to lose the showpiece event against Hibernian the following month.
Oliver Thomas
