Celtic captain Callum McGregor believes his team are well prepared to deal with Rangers on a tactical level this Sunday in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
The Bhoys go into the contest unbeaten in four matches against the Ibrox side this season, although each derby has been an intriguing and very different battle.
From the blow-away 4-0 win at Celtic Park to a 2-2 draw at Ibrox and a League Cup victory at Hampden, McGregor and his teammates have had the experience of adjusting to ploys and tactics from our derby opponents in various environments and match scenarios.
Whether Rangers sit with a deeper defensive line, try to force errors with a higher press or specifically try to stop Celtic’s main distribution outlets with close marking on players like McGregor himself, the Bhoys in the main have managed to come out on top, albeit not always with free-flowing football.
For the captain, it’s all about enacting Celtic’s own gameplan, but he has noted that preparation has been done for whatever Michael Beale’s outfit tries to throw at the Bhoys this weekend. And he made it clear Celtic’s record is strong on that front.
Callum McGregor previews Celtic vs Rangers
In a media event today, McGregor said [Celtic YouTube]: “We’re predominantly looking at ourselves in terms of the training week, what we think we can bring to the game. As always, that’s number one.
“And then, of course, in the games against Rangers this season, they’ve tried, probably three or four different systems to try and stop us in each of the games. So, we’re preparing for each of those scenarios and whatever one we face then hopefully we’ll have the solution to that come the game.
“It’s just about trying to find out where the space is and how we can beat that press and progress again forward and try to be dominant in the game which is what we want. That’s the way we always want the game to look. We’ve done our preparation. We’re looking forward to the game and, as always in cup games, you have to perform on the big stage.”
Sensible observers are probably expecting another fairly chaotic 90 minutes at Hampden, much like the last victory over them at Celtic Park was. The Bhoys weren’t at their best that day but still found a way to win and that’s what is most important.
It would be fantastic to turn on the style this Sunday but we all have enough experience of these derbies to understand that is not always possible. It’s about analysing, in-game, what our opponents are offering and finding ways to bypass that to win at all costs. McGregor will be at the fore of finding answers to those puzzles, as he has been all year.
In other news, Celtic Park beam back options for potential title party selling out quickly; still time.
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