Celtic face Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden Park this weekend.
It was a winning start to the Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney era as Celtic beat Falkirk 4-0 at Parkhead on Wednesday night.
The likes of Benjamin Nygren and Johnny Kenny stood out on the night as the Hoops delivered their best performance of the season, but now face the almighty task of a Glasgow derby.
Rangers have steadily improved under Danny Rohl, but Celtic will still be the favourites going into the game.
For O’Neill, his record against the blue side of Glasgow is mightily impressive, but is only bettered by one other manager.
Martin O’Neill’s record against Rangers
O’Neill’s first game in charge of the Bhoys against Rangers was the perfect start as they hammered them 6-2 at Celtic Park.
That game is perhaps most famous for Henrik Larsson’s sensational lobbed effort that saw the Hoops run rings around their bitter rivals.
Overall, the 73-year-old went on to win 16 of the 27 games against Rangers, drawing three and losing eight.
There were some heartbreaks, including League Cup and Scottish Cup final defeats, but the Northern Irishman knows that he is more than capable of getting the upper hand.
Who is the most successful Celtic manager against Rangers?
Only one other manager betters O’Neill’s record and ironically, it’s Brendan Rodgers.
The 52-year-old was responsible for some ruthless displays against the fierce rivals, which included 5-1 wins at Celtic Park and Ibrox in the same season.
During his two spells as Hoops boss, Rodgers won 16 of the 21 games against the Govan-based side, losing two and drawing three.
His win percentage of 73 per cent against Rangers blows O’Neill’s 59 per cent out of the water and will be very difficult to beat.
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