BRENDAN RODGERS is preparing Celtic for the season’s first derby against Philippe Clement’s Ibrox side at Parkhead on Sunday.
It will be the Irishman’s sixth encounter in this fixture since returning to the champions in June last year.
Rodgers won three of the previous Premiership confrontations and was denied a clean sweep of triumphs by a stoppage-time goal in the 3-3 draw at Ibrox on April 7.
However, the team chief was celebrating a league and Cup double when Adam Idah hammered in the winner in the Scottish Cup showcase against their rivals at Hampden on the iconic date of May 25.
IT TAKES TWO…manager Brendan Rodgers and captain Callum McGregor with the Scottish Cup after the 1-0 derby triumph at Hampden on May 25.
The second time-around Hoops gaffer enjoyed phenomenal success against the city rivals in his first spell between May 2016 and February 2019.
Rodgers faced the Govan club on 13 occasions and triumphed 10 times while drawing two and losing only one.
In another CQN EXCLUSIVE series, we are analysing Rodgers’ previous derby encounters.
The 51-year-old Irishman got off to a dream start with a 5-1 debut hammering oF Mark Warburton’s team in September 2016 and won four of the next five outings as we have already highlighted over the past two days.
In Part Three, CQN puts the spotlight on the opening two fixtures of Rodgers’ second season in the Hoops dug-out.
BREAKTHROUGH BHOY…Aussie ace Tom Rogic thumped in the opener at Ibrox.
September 23 2017: Premiership
Rangers 0, CELTIC 2 (Rogic, Griffiths)
TOM ROGIC fired Celtic into the lead in when his blistering 50th-minute drive whipped high past the helpless Wes Foderingham after a goalless first-half at Ibrox.
Brendan Rodgers’ men were in control throughout with seven shots on target to one from their opponents, but it took a marvellous effort from the Australian international to provide the breakthrough.
It was all over for the hosts 15 minutes later when Patrick Roberts sent Leigh Griffiths scampering clear in the box and the prolific hitman finished the lightning-swift move with a clipped low shot past the exposed Foderingham.
The comfortable win extended the champions’ lead in the Premiership over their city rivals to eight points and their run of unbeaten domestic games to 57.
TEAM: Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Simunovic, Tierney; Brown, Armstrong; Roberts (sub: Forrest), Rogic (sub: McGregor), Sinclair; Griffiths (sub: Dembele).
BLANK LOOKS…Brendan Rodgers watched Celtic fail to score against the Ibrox side for the first time.
December 30: Premiership:
CELTIC 0, Rangers 0
CELTIC could not convert their superiority into goals as they fired blanks for the first time in Brendan Rodgers’ eighth Glasgow derby.
In fact, it was the first time since March 2016 that the Hoops had failed to score at their Parkhead fortress.
It was a game of missed chances and Scott Sinclair, normally so deadly in these encounters, passed up the hosts’ best opportunity when he tamely skewed an attempt wide of the target from close range just before the interval.
The scoreless stalemate kept the champions at the Premiership pinnacle with an 11-point advantage over the Ibrox club.
TEAM: Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Ajer, Tierney; Brown, McGregor; Forrest, Armstrong, Sinclair (sub: Ntcham); Dembele (sub: Griffiths).
*DON’T miss the next thrilling instalment of Rodgers v Rangers – only in your champion CQN.
