Celtic and Rangers face their fifth and final showdown of the season in the 2024 Scottish Cup Final, with a double trophy on the line for both sides.
Brendan Rodgers’ men are unbeaten against their city rivals so far this season, and having just clinched the Scottish Premier League – the club’s third in as many years – they now have their sights set on securing a traditional double win in the league and the cup.
Philippe Clement’s players, on the other hand, will be keen to end what has ultimately been a turbulent season on a positive note. Despite Celtic coming close to the league at one point, Rangers ultimately finished eight points behind. This means the Scottish Cup final will offer the Ibrox side the chance to secure two domestic cups, having already won the League Cup last December.
By Saturday evening, one side will have been crowned champions, but until then, here are our Celtic vs. Rangers predictions.
Celtic v Rangers predictions for the 2024 Scottish Cup Final
Callum McGregor and Tom Lawrence (Image: SNS)
Ewan Paton
Celtic 4 – 2 Rangers
I predict a cup final classic at Hampden. Isn’t it the showpiece to end the season? The smart money is certainly on Celtic to make it a league and cup double, completing Brendan Rodgers’ solid first season in Glasgow. It wasn’t without its problems, as should always be the case, but two trophies in the cabinet will do him and the club good when all is said and done.
I think Rangers will give a much better picture of themselves at the national stadium compared to the last meeting just a fortnight ago. I think things will go well until the last fifteen minutes or so before Celtic manage to put their bitter rivals to the sword.
Matthew Lindsay
Celtic 3-1 Rangers
Form goes out the window in Old Firm games. Anything can happen in a one-off cup match. A 50-50 split of fans in Hampden makes for a more even match. Blah, blah, blah.
Many football clichés have been thrown out by fans and pundits in the run-up to this week’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final. But if Celtic perform as well as they can tomorrow – and they have been back to their best of late – then I expect them to triumph comfortably and complete a league and cup double.
Rangers are low on confidence after falling short in the cinch Premiership and appear to have a number of key players missing or half fit. I just can’t see them rising to the occasion. Perhaps their opponents have surrendered after winning their third consecutive Scottish title last week and will have a bad day. But when the defending champions show up, they prevail.
Graeme McGarry
Celtic 3-1 Rangers
Although it is often said that the form book goes out the window in these competitions, there is no way around it either. The way the last few weeks have developed for both teams means you have to be keen for Celtic to win here.
Rangers come into the match with a huge injury list and a huge setback after letting the league title slip from their grasp. Celtic came in for their title celebrations and really seemed to get going at the right time.
Stranger things have happened and the Celtic defense will always cough up chances. The question is: can people like Cyriel Dessers and Fabio Silva be clinical enough to take them?
Even Rangers fans will travel to Hampden with more hope than expectation, with the smart money on another win for Celtic.
Joe Donnelly
Celtic 2 – 0 Rangers
Despite being unbeaten against Rangers so far in 2023/24 and buoyed by their great form and recent win in the Scottish Premier League, I don’t expect Celtic to dominate this derby as they have largely done this season. However, I do expect them to win.
However ambiguous the external factors may be, I personally believe in the occasion, the 50-50 split crowd and the fact that Philippe Clement and his players will be desperate to end the season on a positive note – after ultimately gaining eight points achieved in the competition. behind in second place – will make for a more contentious game.
But in the areas of the pitch that matter – the high defensive line, the midfield battle, the explosive wingers and the all-firing frontline – not to mention the intensity and winning mentality that Brendan Rodgers and his side the past few weeks have shown will make a difference for me in the national stadium.
David Irvine
Celtic 3 – 2 Rangers
With a double on the line for both teams in Hampden I expect a blood and thunder battle at the national stadium.
There is no doubt that Celtic have had the upper hand in recent meetings. It will take something special for the tide to turn on Saturday. But Philippe Clement knows that he will be judged on his record against Brendan Rodgers and that his team simply has to show something after missing out on the league title.
Expect goals, and lots of them. Expect fierce fights and tackles, and lots of them.
But as has been the case all season, expect Celtic to run out of winners even if Rangers come close. Celtic simply have too much quality for Rangers. They must show it again on Saturday and return to Parkhead with a new trophy.
Jonny McFarlane
Celtic 3-2 Rangers
Although the Old Firm matches have been tight this season, Celtic largely felt in control and left their opponents with more than a little to spare.
Although Philippe Clement has done a great job securing every title race given the mess he inherited, his team has lost form at the worst time of the season and looks shaky in every department.
With the likes of Lundstram, Jack, Barisic and Roofe out of contract and even stalwarts like Tavernier and Goldson potentially heading to Saudi Arabia, this really is the final sign for the Rangers team that Steven Gerrard started building in 2018.
Brendan Rodgers, like the bookmakers, will look at the two sides on paper and assess his chances of making their exits very moderate indeed.