Rangers and Celtic taking nothing for granted on return to Premiership action following European heroics

Celtic and Rangers were entitled to pat themselves on the back on Friday after Europa League wins over Lazio and Porto respectively, a combination that has raised Scotland’s Uefa co-efficient to within one place of gaining two entries to next season’s Champions League qualifiers. In Celtic’s case, progress to the Europa League knockout stage was ensured by their 2-1 victory in Rome – their first ever success in Italy - and they will be seeded if they finish top of Group D, a prospect that has been bolstered by an undefeated record in their six most recent European away games.

Rangers have no such guarantee but a win and a draw from their two remaining Group G fixtures, away to Feyenoord and at home to Young Boys, will be sufficient to put them into the round of 32. They, too, can boast impressive stats under Steven Gerrard, who remains unbeaten at home in Europe as Rangers manager, with 10 wins and four draws at Ibrox and only three defeats from a total of 26 home and away.

Gerrard and his players will enter an alternative reality when they return to domestic action on Sunday at the Tony Macaroni Arena, where they lost on his first visit to the ground in September 2018. The combination of artificial pitch and Livingston’s robust approach proved irresistibly disruptive to Rangers, as the manager recollected ruefully.

“The game was an eye-opener because the physios were on for head injuries four, five times in the first half,” Gerrard said.  “All we ask is that the referee protects both teams and people are not going off the pitch with 20 stitches in their head because people are leading with their arm. We accept the fact that it is Livi’s style and we respect that but when our players are going down with stitches in their nose and 20 stitches across their head, it is my job to protect them.”

On a more savoury note, James Tavernier revealed that improvements behind the scenes at the club have had an incremental impact, sometimes in unexpected fashion. “The facilities at the training ground have got better – the kitchen, the canteen, everything,” the Rangers captain said.

“We’ve got a cryotherapy chamber on site now, which helps recovery. The quality of what we’re eating and being served is all better – they bring out a massive salmon and it’s seasoned unbelievably. It’s one of the best salmons I’ve ever tasted, but if there’s cottage pie I’ll take that. I like Yorkshire puddings, too.”

On the other side of the city, Celtic fans hope that their team’s Italian takeaway will be followed by a sweet course in the form of home victory over Motherwell, in a game that brings together the Scottish Premiership’s leaders and third-placed side. The champions’ advantage over Rangers is a single goal of difference but the Hoops ran up a 5-2 victory at Fir Park in August and, although Neil Lennon was still elated at the feat of Celtic’s first away win against Italian opposition, he took a holistic view of that accomplishment.

“It’s a real good barometer for us going forward in the season,” he said. “The quality of the opposition and the pedigree of the competition will do the players and the club the world of good in terms of self-confidence.

“It’s not just about going deep into the Europa League - it’s about winning the league and the domestic competitions. Although we’ve qualified, we still want to finish the group strongly and keep that momentum going into the new year.

“It’s good recognition for the game here, which takes a battering sometimes. It was a proud night and one to savour. We have a big game coming up so we can park that now and can look forward to a good atmosphere here on Sunday.”

Leigh Griffiths could appear for the first time since August against the Steelmen, whose manager has been linked with the vacant jobs at both Hibs and Hearts. Stephen Robinson declared on Thursday that he had not felt the need to reassure the Fir Park squad about his position because such talk was no more than speculation.

It can be said that every match is currently crucial to the two Edinburgh sides but fate has added an edge to their fixtures on Saturday. Hibs visit St Johnstone - whose 1-0 victory over Hearts ended Craig Levein’s tenure at Tynecastle - with a single point in Saints’ favour separating the teams.

The margin is even finer for the meeting of Hearts and St Mirren, the two bottom sides. Like the Old Firm at the other end of the Scottish Premiership, a single goal keeps the Jam Tarts above the Buddies. Saturday’s card is completed by Aberdeen’s trip to Ross County and Kilmarnock’s encounter with Hamilton Academical at Rugby Park.