Celtic captain Callum McGregor is determined to ensure that his side continues to deliver on the biggest occasions, with the Hoops aiming to extend their recent dominance over city rivals Rangers.
As 2024 comes to a close, Celtic has clinched three trophies and suffered just two defeats – one to Hearts and another to Borussia Dortmund. A key factor in their success has been their strong performances in derby matches against Rangers, with Celtic having won both of the year’s major domestic finals against their rivals. The Hoops are currently unbeaten in their last seven encounters with Rangers, with their only loss to them in the past 14 matches coming after Celtic had already secured the 2023 Premiership title.
“We want to win every game, especially when the big ones come around,” McGregor said. “That’s where you’re judged. You’re judged on these games. You’re judged on the success rate of these games. That’s where we want to be as a squad when we arrive into the big moments.”
McGregor emphasized the importance of making big-game performances a regular occurrence. “It has to become normal for us to arrive in big moments and deliver and perform,” he added. “Thursday is just another test for us.”
Rangers delivered one of their stronger derby performances in last month’s Premier Sports Cup final, drawing 3-3 before Celtic triumphed in a penalty shootout. McGregor admitted that his side was not at their usual level during the match but praised their mentality for securing the win. “We played nowhere near our level but showed our mentality to get over the line,” he said.
Looking ahead to Celtic’s upcoming trip to Ibrox, McGregor believes his team will be in good form, having scored eight goals in their last two matches. He stressed that Celtic’s approach remains consistent week after week, with constant improvements. “We’ll look at the game and see where we can be better,” he said. “The main objective is to play well every week, and in cup finals, the most important thing is to come through it and win.”
While Rangers were encouraged by their strong showing in the cup final, they dropped points against St Mirren and Motherwell last week, leaving them 14 points behind Celtic in the league. However, McGregor insisted that the league standings will have no impact on the upcoming derby. “It’s a derby game. You want to win,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where the standings are on the table, everybody wants to win. We have to bring our maximum form.”
McGregor’s focus is clear: to continue Celtic’s dominance in the derby and deliver another strong performance when it matters most.
