Rangers Name Unchanged XI for Celtic Clash After 3-0 Derby Masterclass

The Light Blues head into Sunday’s Scottish Premiership meeting with the same starting XI that delivered one of the most impressive performances of McInnes’ early Rangers reign.

Ivor Pandur starts in goal, with Dujon Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez, Olwethu Makhanya and James Penrice again forming the defensive unit.

Nicolas Raskin and Dan Neil retain their places in midfield, while Kim Min-Su, Djeidi Gassama and Ryan Naderi support Kevin Kelsy in attack.

The decision underlines the confidence McInnes has in the players who produced such a commanding display at Ibrox seven days ago.

Rangers refuse to overthink Celtic rematch

The 3-0 League Cup victory was built around Rangers’ aggressive approach, with Celtic struggling to cope with the intensity of the press and the movement across the pitch.

Dan Neil scored twice and Kevin Kelsy added the other goal, while Rangers repeatedly disrupted Celtic’s attempts to build possession.

Sky Sports noted how McInnes used James Penrice in an auxiliary midfield role, helping Rangers create overloads in the centre and allowing the team to press Celtic aggressively.

Rather than radically changing a system that worked so effectively, McInnes has opted for continuity.

That could be particularly important in an Old Firm fixture where familiarity and confidence can have a major influence.

Ryan Naderi fitness concern adds intrigue

The one major question surrounding Rangers’ selection was Naderi's fitness.

The attacker picked up an ankle problem during the 3-0 victory after a challenge from Mika Baur, and McInnes admitted before the game that his availability was a concern.

His inclusion therefore represents a significant boost for Rangers.

Naderi keeps his place alongside Gassama and Min-Su behind Kelsy, meaning McInnes has resisted the opportunity to make a tactical reshuffle.

That also preserves the attacking structure that caused Celtic so many problems at Ibrox.

Celtic have a very different task this time

The circumstances are different from last weekend.

Rangers now travel to Celtic Park, where there will be a home crowd behind Martin O’Neill’s side, while Celtic are looking to respond after consecutive defeats to Rangers and Ferencvaros.

Celtic had previously won their opening six Scottish Premiership matches, leaving them five points ahead of Rangers before Sunday's meeting.

The league table therefore adds another layer to the derby.

Rangers cannot simply reproduce the scoreline from Ibrox and assume the same match will unfold. Celtic have had a full week to analyse what went wrong, while the location and league context are completely different.

But McInnes has clearly decided that the best response is to trust the players who already demonstrated they can execute his plan against this opponent.

Rangers starting XI

Pandur; Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice; Raskin, Neil; Min-Su, Gassama, Naderi; Kelsy.

It is a major show of faith in the players who delivered Rangers’ first Old Firm victory of the season.

Now they have another opportunity to prove that the 3-0 result at Ibrox was not an isolated performance — and that McInnes has found a formula capable of troubling Celtic again.