Rangers vs Celtic Prediction: An entertaining top table matchup

Rangers and Celtic, who are fierce rivals despite being separated by nine points heading into 2023, play one another in the first Old Firm rivalry of the year on Monday. At Ibrox, the two Glasgow titans will square off, with the away team looking to increase their advantage atop the Scottish Premiership to double digits and the home team hoping to close the gap with a fifth straight victory.

Michael Beale will lead out the Light Blues in his first Glasgow derby as coach, and they desperately need a win to keep their title hopes alive after a perfect 4-0 start to Beale's tenure as Rangers manager. The Gers have scored 10 goals since the World Cup break, and with a 3-0 win over Motherwell on Wednesday, they hope to win five consecutive Premiership games for the first time this season. Rangers are 17 points ahead of third-placed Hearts and have been eliminated from Europe in disgrace, so they have no choice but to focus on catching their longest rivals for first place in Monday's match. Even though Beale's squad hasn't been particularly convincing thus far, they are gaining confidence as Alfredo Morelos, who scored the game's first goal in midweek, shows indications of going back to his best. After seeking out victories in extra time against Hearts and Aberdeen and keeping clean sheets in their final two games of 2022, the team may feel confident that it can overtake Celtic and cut the lead to a more manageable six points.

Of course, Ange Postecoglou will have different ideas, and his track record versus Rangers looks especially strong in front of the next matchup. His unstoppable Celtic side made a statement by thrashing the Light Blues 4-0 in the derby back in September. Since then, they have gone on to win 18 of their 19 league games this season. Winning a six-pointer at Ibrox would essentially close the deal, according to some pundits, despite the fact that there are still several months left in the season. This would put the team firmly on course for successive titles under the Australian's leadership. When the Hoops hosted Hibernian at Easter Road on a Wednesday, Kyogo Furuhashi scored the final goal in a 4-0 triumph, giving them their 12th straight Premiership win. Celtic have scored more than 60 goals in the league this season, and that came days after the striker scored twice in a 4-1 home triumph over St. Johnstone.

In spite of the fact that they have racked up an incredible number of points ever since beginning over under new management, the Rangers' defense has continued to seem shaky, and they have little chance of preventing Celtic from scoring for the complete match's duration. Even though they have the advantage of playing at home, the home team is likely to be outplayed by their fierce rival due to the speed with which they think and act, and as a result, they will fall farther behind in the standings after suffering a crushing loss. So, we still think Celtic will win by a score of 1-2 in what should be a close game.