Rangers take on Celtic this Sunday in the League Cup final at Hampden Park.
It is the first time the two sides have met in the showpiece fixture since the 2019 edition of the tournament.
Ange Postecoglou's side currently sit nine points clear of their Ibrox rivals in the Scottish Premiership.
Michael Beale is looking to win his first trophy as Rangers boss while the Australian is hoping to retain the competition after his team defeated Hibernian in the final last season.
Both clubs are in excellent form going into the match, with both having won all but one game in 2023 so far, that being when the two teams drew at Ibrox in January.
Pundits from both sides have differing opinions on how the match will go, and here we have pulled together some of the best predictions.
Ally McCoist
The Rangers legend feels that rivals Celtic are in a good place right now and that it will be a close fixture.
He was asked, tongue in cheek, on talkSPORT by presenter Alan Brazil when the Light Blues would receive their "early penalty" and the Ibrox hero replied in trademark fashion.
He said: "No, it's later. [James] Tavernier nets his penalty in the 74th minute."
And the 60-year-old admitted that the Hoops do have quality in their ranks as he went on to give an official prediction.
Once again he gave a classic McCoist response
He continued: "I am looking at Celtic, they are different class in wide areas, solid defensively and they can score goals... so 2-0 Rangers."
Chris Sutton
The Englishman has been embroiled in a war of words recently with Ibrox boss Beale.
Both men have gone back and forth and the man in the Rangers dugout has made clear there is no love lost between the two.
While the former Hoops striker has not given a specific scoreline prediction, he has expressed that he thinks his old club are favourites ahead of the Hampden clash, and he pointed to Beale's reaction to his comments as one of the reasons why.
Writing in his Daily Record column, he said: "What will he be like if Rangers lose at Hampden? There’s already been some strange comments, like the Postecoglou 'lucky man' stuff, and now there’s this outburst over absolutely nothing.
"Goodness knows what will happen when the serious heat is on. Beale can point the finger at "comic acts" but losing the plot this early should be no laughing matter for Rangers supporters."
Kenny Miller
The forward played for both teams so is more than aware of what a cup final between the two entails.
He believes that the Hoops are favourites going into the tie but he thinks the Ibrox side will just edge it on the day.
Speaking on Open Goal, he said: "I think it will be 1-1 at the end of the 90 minutes and then Rangers will win 2-1 in extra time."
Neil Lennon
The ex-Celtic boss appeared alongside McCoist on talkSport and was confident about the Parkhead team's chances at Hampden.
He highlighted the momentum that the Scottish champions have and claimed that a Hoops win could "deflate" their Glasgow rivals.
"I think the first goal in these games is always really important," he said.
"Celtic are in great form, they've been perfect since the draw at Ibrox.
"It will be about which team adapts best to the atmosphere and the conditions. In terms of the league, they are nine clear with a huge goal difference.
"Psychologically if Celtic win it will totally deflate Rangers. But if Rangers win it will give them a bit lift until the end of the season.
"I think Celtic will win 2-1 or 3-1 - I think both teams will score.
"But they're playing so well, they can score from so many areas. I really like the mentality of this team and they are so fluid."
Derek Ferguson
The 55-year-old was another who did not give a specific score prediction at first but felt that Beale's would edge it on the day.
However, when pushed by presenter Simon Ferry for an answer, he explained why he thinks it could be a high-scoring encounter.
Also speaking on Open Goal, he said: "I think it could be a high-scoring game, potentially 3-2 Rangers.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel