Celtic seek Old Firm response against Rangers following back-to-back cup and European defeats

Consecutive defeats heighten scrutiny on O'Neill

Celtic enter Sunday's Glasgow derby seeking to recover from back-to-back losses across cup and European competitions. Martin O'Neill's side suffered a 3-0 defeat against Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox last Sunday, followed by a 3-1 home loss to Ferencvaros in their Europa League opener on Thursday. Against Ferencvaros, who sit fifth in the Hungarian league, Celtic equalised through Mika Baur before conceding again prior to the interval. Former Celtic winger Daniel Arzani then scored for the visitors two minutes after the restart. These defeats followed an early European exit in August, when Austrian side LASK eliminated Celtic from the Champions League play-offs on a 5–4 aggregate scoreline despite Celtic previously holding a 4–0 lead. O'Neill stated that Ferencvaros delivered a European lesson to his players.

Carter-Vickers addresses squad transition and midfield gaps

The recent difficulties coincide with an extensive squad overhaul under O'Neill, who integrated 10 new signings during the summer transfer window. Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, attacker Mika Baur, striker Kasper Hogh, and midfielder Camilo Duran all made their Glasgow derby debuts at Ibrox, playing alongside academy graduate Colby Donovan. O'Neill acknowledged that Celtic made a mistake by failing to replace the running power of departed midfielder Arne Engels, though the club continues to monitor Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis ahead of the January transfer window. Centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers defended the squad's development, noting that previous Celtic teams under Ange Postecoglou required six months before finding consistency.

Carter-Vickers emphasised the need for collective focus across the squad following the Ferencvaros defeat.

“Difficult game. Obviously it didn't go our way. Off the back of last weekend as well we're disappointed with both of those. But I think we've got to stick together as a team, as a group, and really double down on what we believe and the way we want to play and just keep trying to improve.”

Premiership derby provides opportunity to extend five-point lead

Despite their cup and European setbacks, Celtic maintain a perfect domestic league campaign with six wins from six matches in the William Hill Premiership. That start gives them a five-point cushion over Derek McInnes' Rangers ahead of Sunday's fixture at Celtic Park. A ticketing dispute between the two clubs prompted authorities to step in, meaning no away fans will attend and the 60,000 seats will be occupied entirely by Celtic supporters. Carter-Vickers stated that having 60,000 home fans pushing the team creates the atmosphere required to perform. Former club captain Scott Brown noted that the league context gives Celtic an immediate chance to alter the narrative.

“If Celtic win and they're eight points clear, it changes the game.”

Brown added that Celtic have had a full week to understand how the Ibrox cup tie unfolded and must match Rangers' energy in Glasgow. A victory on Sunday would move Celtic eight points clear of their city rivals in the league standings.