Kris Boyd has made a huge claim before of Rangers’ Scottish Premiership game against Celtic on Sunday.
Parkhead will welcome Barry Ferguson’s team on March 16, with the Gers 16 points behind their Old Firm rivals in the league rankings.
The Light Blues are coming off an amazing Europa League victory over Fenerbahce on Thursday (13 March), and they have advanced to the quarter-finals after prevailing on penalties at Ibrox.
With the Old Firm derby coming up, the Bears won’t have time to worry about overcoming Jose Mourinho’s club, but Boyd believes the matchups against the Turkish side will have an impact.
Rangers to get massive boost for Celtic fixture at Parkhead.
Boyd believes the Gers will benefit greatly from their Europa League last-16 success over Celtic.
The former Scotland international believes the Light Blues will need to show their strength early at Parkhead.
While the Bears should be disappointed with their previous home performance, Boyd praised them for remaining calm during the penalty shootout.
The former forward said in The Scottish Sun (14 March): “Rangers will need a lot of character to get through the early stage and get into the game [against Celtic]. However, the enthusiasm and determination they demonstrated in defeating Fenerbahce should provide them with a significant boost.
“Mourinho’s side deserved to win in 90 minutes, and a fourth home defeat in a succession for the first time is not a good sign for this Gers group. But they deserve a lot of credit for remaining calm during that tight penalty shootout.
Ferguson will be confident heading into the Celtic fixture.
Ferguson may be missing a few players at Parkhead, but the interim manager is confident in his ability to beat Celtic.
The Gers icon has introduced new ideas to the Light Blues since replacing Philippe Clement in the dugout, resulting in a formation shift.
Ferguson has used five defenders in recent games, with James Tavernier playing alongside John Souttar and Leon Balogun against Fenerbahce at Ibrox.
It wouldn’t be shocking if the interim manager started with the same squad if everyone is fit enough to face the Hoops.
While it would be surprising to see Ferguson given the permanent post at Ibrox, he would make a strong case for himself if the Bears defeated Celtic in convincing way.
Clement struggled to win Old Firm derbies during his time with the Gers, but the former Scotland midfielder, along with Billy Dodds, Allan McGregor, and Neil McCann, will be aiming to rectify that.
The Light Blues will likely be in good spirits following their triumph over Fenerbahce, and they will need to carry that confidence to Parkhead.
