Rangers’ Leanne Crichton and Celtic’s Elena Sadiku will face off on Friday.
Rangers against Celtic ignites a weekend featuring three derbies in the Scottish Women’s Premier League, as the Glasgow rivals clash under the lights at Ibrox on Friday.
These always intriguing matches can prove pivotal in the title race, though there is a risk that may not be the case this season.
Both teams have underperformed thus far, with Celtic in third place, six points behind Glasgow City and one point behind reigning champions Hibernian, while Rangers trail further behind in fifth, three points adrift.
Despite Rangers winning their previous encounter with Celtic 2-0 away from home in early September, they still lag behind.
As their second meeting approaches, we assess the current state of play for both sides before this Old Firm derby.
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Rangers head coach Leanne Crichton admits that her early tenure has been “a whirlwind” and “challenging.”
The former City and Scotland midfielder took the helm just two weeks before the new season and, following the departure of key players during the summer transfer window, has also had to manage a squad depleted by injuries.
This has contributed to the team dropping points this season.
In October, Rangers lost to Hibs after relinquishing a 2-0 lead, while earlier this month, a sluggish start against Heart of Midlothian resulted in a 3-2 defeat.
Ibrox has also not been the impenetrable fortress they desire.
In their first home game of the season, Hearts scored a late equalizer to secure a draw, while City left with all three points in September.
This echoes last season, when Hibs snatched the title from Rangers’ grasp in a final-day, winner-take-all showdown.
While Crichton states her players “love it and thrive on it,” and she draws positives from their performances at their Govan home, she concedes “the results have not been what we wanted.”
However, she views Celtic’s first visit of the season as “a brilliant opportunity,” believes “any Friday night game always feels better,” and hopes her players will “maximize playing at Ibrox” this time.
With City favored to secure all three points when they visit sixth-placed Montrose on Sunday, Rangers cannot afford to fall further behind.
Although Celtic have also struggled against some of their main rivals this season, some observers feel they have had a better start than expected.
Last season failed to meet expectations as they aimed to retain the title after their historic first win in the previous campaign.
The demands of Champions League football and reports of internal discord did not contribute to a successful season.
The loss of key center-half Caitlin Hayes at the start of this year, followed by significant departures in the close season, created a sense that all was not well.
An away win over Hearts, a team that caused them problems the previous season, provided a solid start.
Head coach Elena Sadiku stated it was important to “build upon that win,” but they dropped points when facing the sides expected to be their challengers this season.
A draw with Hibs was followed by defeats to Rangers and City – all at home.
The loss to City was particularly painful, prompting the Swede to speak out, seemingly criticizing Celtic’s level of investment in the women’s side.
“I feel right now that we are in a situation where teams are investing strongly and you can see how tight it is every season,” Sadiku said. “Teams are getting better and better and we need to push in the same direction as well.”
A Celtic team boss publicly criticizing the failure to strengthen their squad – a mirror image of former manager Brendan Rodgers’ complaints about the men’s team.
Given their recent results and current league standings, Sadiku may have a point, as Celtic trails both City and Hibs while being level on points with Hearts.
However, six points off the leaders is hardly insurmountable, and a win over their Glasgow rivals on Friday could go a long way toward getting them back on track.
“There’s bigger pressure on Rangers as they’re behind us,” Sadiku said. “It’s been a while since we beat them, but belief is going to be more important than tactics and we have strong belief at the moment.”
Rangers’ record at Ibrox might also give Sadiku and her players some confidence for a trip they will repeat in February, when Celtic visits the holders in the SWPL Cup semi-finals.
As Sadiku added: “The SWPL is tighter than ever, but that’s the most exciting thing about this league – playing against Rangers. It is more than just a game.”
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women’s Super League and beyond on the Women’s Football Weekly feed