Will Derek McInnes complete the double against Celtic, or can Martin O'Neill recover from a nightmare week to move eight points clear of Rangers? The Old Firm sides meet in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, seven days after the Ibrox side laid down a marker with an emphatic League Cup win. While McInnes appears to have weathered an early storm at Rangers, O'Neill is looking for solutions after Celtic followed up that 3-0 defeat with a 3-1 loss to Ferencvaros in the Europa League.
Only Celtic fans will be inside Parkhead at the order of the authorities amid a ticket allocation spat between the two Glasgow giants. We look at some of the talking points ahead of what is sure to be another fascinating encounter... It is amazing how quickly things can change in football.
Just a few months ago, O'Neill was at peak legendary Celtic status after saving their season to deliver a league and cup double. They then capitulated against LASK and crashed out of the Champions League, but a winning domestic start kept the pressure off. However, the League Cup defeat to Rangers, followed by their Europa League loss to Ferencvaros means Sunday could be seen as a must-win for the veteran boss - even if the 74-year-old does not think so.
Celtic are guaranteed to go into the international break top of the Scottish Premiership, but few Celtic fans would accept back-to-back defeats to their fiercest rivals. Especially when they have dominated domestically for so long. O'Neill will be desperately seeking solutions ahead of Sunday's game after admitting their confidence has taken a hit.
While the pressure is mounting at Parkhead, it appears to be easing at Ibrox after a turbulent start for McInnes. Failure to secure European football and a slow start domestically had many wondering if he was the right manager to deliver silverware. But then the results started to come, and a tactical masterclass against Celtic to reach the League Cup semi-finals has switched the momentum.
The former Rangers midfielder backed himself to bring success to the club and victory on Sunday would put them just two points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. But defeat would leave them eight points in arrears after just seven games. If that happens, the scrutiny would no doubt return.
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