As Rangers prepare for the final Old Firm fixture of the season, the mood around the club is closer to resignation than anticipation.
Danny Rohl’s side effectively ended their title challenge with a damaging defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle, a result that leaves them seven points adrift of the league leaders with only three matches remaining.
What once looked like a tightly contested run-in has drifted into a mathematical exercise, and the focus now shifts from chasing silverware to shaping the narrative of the season’s conclusion.
Next up is the one fixture that rarely respects form or context: a trip to Celtic Park.
Even without a title to win, Rangers can still have a say on it’s destination and their own fate in Europe next season.
Rangers can dash Celtic title hopes
Rangers may be out of contention at the summit, but they still hold the capacity to decisively alter the destination of the championship.
A win in Glasgow’s east end would not only inflict a symbolic blow on their oldest rivals but could also effectively extinguish Martin O’Neill’s side’s remaining hopes of a title charge.
It is the kind of scenario that gives the Old Firm its enduring edge.
One club playing for survival at the top, the other playing for pride, leverage, and the right to define the season’s final word.
A reminder from the past
There is precedent for Rangers influencing the title picture late in the season against Celtic, even when their own ambitions have already faded.
Back in May 2007, they produced one of their more controlled Old Firm performances in a 2–0 win at Ibrox.
Kris Boyd grabbed his 100th Scottish Premier League goal with the opener, finishing crisply after a well-judged pass from Nacho Novo.
Charlie Adam later sealed the result with a free-kick that exposed Celtic’s defensive fragility on a day when Gordon Strachan’s side struggled to impose themselves.
Rangers, under Walter Smith, managed the game with authority, restricting space, winning midfield duels, and capitalising on set-piece opportunities.
The result clinched second place for Rangers and, more significantly in the broader context of that era, ensured Champions League qualification.
While also adding a layer of frustration to Celtic’s campaign with a second successive Old Firm win for Smith following his return.
Different table, familiar dynamics
The modern scenario carries echoes of that afternoon, even if the league context has shifted.
Rangers are once again out of the title race, but this time Celtic are also chasing.
Hearts are looking to secure a first title since 1960, and a Gers win at Parkhead would put one Jambo hand on the trophy.
It would also bring the Gers back into contention for second place and a chance at playing UEFA Champions League qualifying fixtures next season.
Just like they secured with their win over Strachan’s Hoops in 2007.
For Rangers, the task is clear but uncompromising.
A result at Celtic Park would restore a measure of authority to a season that has drifted off course, while simultaneously opening the title up to Hearts at the summit and complicating Celtic’s ambitions.
It would also serve as a reminder that, regardless of league position, the Old Firm remains the fixture that defines momentum, perception, and legacy in Scottish football.
Even without a title to win, there is still plenty left to influence.
