Callum McGregor urges Celtic calm in hostile Ibrox cup clash with Rangers
Callum McGregor has called on Celtic to keep control of the occasion when they meet Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday, with the final place in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals on the line. Celtic will play in front of a full home crowd after travelling supporters were barred under an SPFL decision, leaving Martin O’Neill’s team to manage a hostile 50,000-seat environment without their own fans in attendance.
Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at a glance
| Item | Detail | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Match | Rangers v Celtic, Sunday | Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox |
| Semi-final draw | Immediately after the match | The winner completes the last-four line-up |
| Celtic league form | Six wins from six | Scottish Premiership record entering the derby |
| Semi-finals | Weekend of 31 October | To be staged at Hampden Park |
Hearts, Hibernian and Aberdeen have already progressed to Hampden, with Aberdeen securing their place despite finishing their weekend tie with 10 men. The Ibrox winner will join those three clubs in the draw shortly after the final whistle.
McGregor said Celtic must not allow the scale and emotion of the Old Firm fixture to alter their approach. The captain wants his side to establish possession and play proactively from the outset rather than being pulled into the atmosphere created by the home support.
“You have to be fully committed,” McGregor said. “We need to play as Celtic: take the initiative and move the ball. It is important not to be carried away by the occasion or the crowd, although that is not easy. When we make our own game count, the results are usually good.”
The midfielder acknowledged the disappointment of Celtic supporters being unable to attend, but said the squad understands the weight of the contest for both club and fans. He also pointed to previous encouraging performances in Govan played without an away allocation as evidence that the side can deal with the circumstances.
“The group knows exactly what this fixture represents,” McGregor added. “We will give everything to win it. It is a different kind of match, in different conditions, and there is no second chance.”
Celtic arrive with a perfect six-match Scottish Premiership start and a strong recent League Cup record against their rivals. They have won each of the clubs’ last six meetings in the competition and will seek to extend that run by quietening Ibrox early and imposing the high-tempo, front-foot football McGregor has demanded.
Victory would keep Celtic on course for another domestic trophy and send them into the Hampden semi-finals at the end of October.
