Glasgow Rangers head into their latest Premiership match full of confidence following last weekend's 6-0 win.
Of course, that was the opposite of Ross County. With this afternoon's match against Celtic, the Rangers club have lost just once in the regular season since Steven Gerrard left in November 2021.
This is a poor result and if Philippe Clement wishes to add a Premiership title to his list of achievements, he will have to beat the Parkhead side.
One man who needs to make sure he doesn't get time or space in the Gers penalty area is Kyogo Furuhashi.
Why the Rangers should stop Kyogo
The Japanese striker has been a source of pain for the Light Blues since his move to Glasgow in the summer of 2021.
In 14 games against the Gers, the 29-year-old has scored seven goals, including five in the league during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.
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Rangers' results against Celtic last season |
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|---|---|
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Competition and date |
The result |
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Premiership (03/09/2023) |
1-0 Celtic |
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Premiership (30/12/2023) |
2-1 Celtic |
|
Premiership (07/04/2024) |
3-3 diagram |
|
Premiership (11/05/2024) |
2-1 Celtic |
|
Scottish Cup Final (25/05/2024) |
1-0 Celtic |
|
Via Transfermarkt |
|
He has not scored in his last three games against Rangers, and Clement will be aiming to extend this to the fourth game this afternoon.
He has yet to score this season, which means his confidence may not be as high going into the Old Firm as it usually is, but Clement will have to be aware of his qualities, as he can score points from nothing.
Who will Belgium manager John Souttar partner with to combat the striker's threat?
Why Clement must introduce Robin Propper against Celtic
The centre-back was sent off against St Johnstone a few weeks ago in the League Cup, and missed the game against Ross County.
He will be ready to take the field when they face Celtic, however, which will give Clement a big boost in the process.
Clement was able to secure a deal for the defender for just £1.5m in August due to a clause in his contract, and has made three appearances for the Gers.
In his one Premiership game against Motherwell, the Dutchman averaged a 91% success rate, won 59% of his duels in total and scored twice in the clash, showing his defensive skills.
Clement praised Propper when he arrived at Rangers, saying:As a defender he is strong and has good qualities, including the experience he gained from his years playing in the Netherlands and the leadership qualities he has shown as captain of FC Twente.”
These qualities should stand him in good stead when he takes his place in the starting XI against the Parkhead side.
If the Gers are to take all three points, they will have to be perfect in all areas of the pitch, meaning two full-backs must tie Kyogo down midway through the game.
Propper would be the perfect guy to nullify his threat, making sure he doesn't get that extra yard of space to cause more damage.
It will be a long process, but if you can do something, the former Twente captain can do it.
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