Celtic will face Rangers for the fifth time this season in the Scottish Cup quarter-final, and they will have the same problem that has cropped up before every game.
The most recent Glasgow derby ended in a 2-2 draw as the Hoops fought back from being 2-0 down to salvage a point.
That came three days after securing a historic win on German soil against Stuttgart, but it is a repeat of an unavoidable issue that has happened to fall before each game against the Bhoys’ fiercest rivals.
You are Martin O’Neill, what is the first change you would make for the cup game against Rangers?
Celtic’s disadvantage vs Rangers this season
Winning titles means competing on all fronts and in that case, playing in Europe comes with that.
As Celtic are so used to playing in four major competitions within a season, the Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday and Saturday/Sunday schedule is relentless.
Rearranged fixtures and European commitments have meant that Celtic have played a midweek game before playing Rangers every time this season.
They travelled back from Kazakhstan following a Champions League exit to Kairat Almaty and have had league fixtures against Falkirk and Motherwell respectively.
Stuttgart was three days before last week and now the Bhoys will play against Aberdeen in a rearranged fixture before the cup clash at Ibrox on Sunday 8 March.
While this is unfortunate timing, it gives them less time to prepare for games, a smaller window for players to recover and fewer opportunities to go through tactics and analysis.
Did Celtic just save their season with a second half comeback vs Rangers? Give us your thoughts in the comments 👇
WHAT. A. COMEBACK.
Celtic have a first world problem, but it is still a problem
Playing on the big stage in Europe is obviously a luxury, and all of the Scottish clubs not competing would snap your hand off to take your place, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t an issue.
Rangers are no longer competing in the Europa League and won’t play in the week before the quarter-final.
They will have time to rest and recover whereas Celtic won’t.
Things could be even worse next season when Scotland loses a Champions League spot. More fixtures over a longer period of time will only look to hinder the Bhoys even more. They must get ready to adapt.
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