Celtic and Rangers face a double threat in an Old Firm derby like no other

It’s always tense when the Glasgow giants meet, but this encounter will have a slightly different atmosphere. There is danger to both, not just from each other but from Hearts and Motherwell as well. The old company is playing catch-up while being chased from below. It’s something unique in the lives of many, many people who watch it.

There was some verbal jousting at the front of Sunday. Luke McEwan, buoyed by a goal and victory over Stuttgart on Thursday evening, made the big deal about Celtic being the best team in the country, despite significant evidence that they are not.

“We know that if we were in it, no team in the league would touch us,” McCowan said that night. He supports his team. Fair enough, but…

Celtic, as if anyone didn’t already know, are third in the Premier League. Had it not been for their ability to score late goals – the 87th and 90th minutes in two matches against St Mirren, the 90th and 90th minutes in two matches against Kilmarnock, and the 90th minute against Motherwell – their title hopes would have already turned to dust.

Credit them with the bottle to win those matches, but they were all desperate. As with the others, they returned home. O’Neill dragged them forward by the scruff of the neck, but it all looked so tired, so exhausted, so ready to explode.

He is still without some mainstays in defence, such as Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnstone. The Auston Trust has been suspended.

They have dropped points in 10 out of 27 matches. The majority could comment on Nancy’s appointment being ironic, but under Brendan Rodgers they lost to Dundee and Hearts and under O’Neill they lost to Hibs and drew with Hearts. Of course, they received a controversial red card in both matches, but the performance was still far from what Celtic had previously been.

Compared to this point last season, they have won five fewer league games and lost five more, they are -28 in goals scored and +9 in goals conceded.

They are 15 points worse. A year ago they were sitting at the top by 13 points. They have just taken Bayern Munich to the end of the Champions League. Life was good.