Celtic go into the first Old Firm of the 2026-27 Scottish Premiership with six wins from six, but the derby arrives after back-to-back defeats and with Rangers arriving in much better shape. The match is on 20 September in Celtic vs Rangers, and the early title-race tension is obvious. Rangers have also won seven of their last eight under Derek McInnes.

Celtic's perfect start

Celtic's league start is still perfect, and that is the headline figure that makes this derby feel different from a normal early-season meeting. They have dropped points in neither of their six Premiership games, yet their confidence has taken a hit through the 5-1 defeat to LASK Linz and the 5-4 aggregate exit on the night they lost the second leg 5-1.

Sports Mole's preview desk expects the away side to get a result, with the view that Celtic will be short on confidence after those back-to-back defeats. That is not hard to understand, even if the league table still shows the clearest edge for Celtic before kick-off.

Rangers' chance and Celtic Park's edge

Rangers have their own case. Seven wins in eight under McInnes is a strong run, and it has pulled them back into the fight quickly enough to make this more than a test of Celtic's start. They are five points behind, so the derby already carries an early swing in the title race.

Celtic Park still gives Celtic a real advantage. Rangers have won only two of their last 12 visits there, and all away fans are banned in Old Firm matches this season, which only increases the home-side feel around the game. The venue has not been friendly to Rangers for a while, and this is a harder trip than the form table alone suggests.

Celtic vs Rangers is still early enough in the season to avoid any grand conclusions, but it already looks like a proper checkpoint for both clubs. Celtic need to show the league start can survive pressure from a derby opponent in form, while Rangers can turn a good run into something more serious with a result at Celtic Park.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →