AS THE clock strikes 12:30 pm this Saturday, Glasgow’s big two will lock horns for the first time this season in the first of four battles that could go a long way in determining the destination of the title.

We may have only said goodbye to August but early season form suggests the Old Firm clashes are going to be pivotal if Rangers are to wrestle back their league crown.

Unlike last term when the Light Blues threw away a healthy lead at the summit by dropping points clumsily to the likes of Ross County, Motherwell, Hearts and Aberdeen, it looks like there will be very little room for error this time around.

Rangers head into the powderkeg clash at Parkhead trailing Celtic by two points, thanks largely to the ineptitude of Willie Collum in the recent 2-2 draw with Hibernian at Easter Road.

With the prospect of opening up a five-point lead, even at this early stage of the campaign, Celtic will be keen to strike a psychological blow to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men by emerging with all three points.

Ange Postecoglu’s side have started the season in blistering form, scoring 21 goals and conceding just once in their opening five games.

The only team that looks capable of stopping them in their tracks is Rangers.

Celtic look unlikely to drop many points to the remaining 10 clubs the Scottish Premiership has to offer, therefore it’s vital that van Bronckhorst’s side don't concede any more ground to their arch-rivals.

We should all expect an early onslaught but Rangers have proved they can perform in the most hostile of atmospheres against clubs far superior.

The 1-0 win over PSV at the red-hot Philips Stadion in Eindhoven should be all the encouragement Rangers need to replicate the performance and result on Saturday.

The Eredivisie giants don’t tend to lose home matches and have started their domestic campaign in much the same way as Celtic. Ruud van Nistelrooy’s charges have won their opening four games, netting a mammoth 22 goals as well as beating Ajax to the Johan Cruyff Shield.

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You’d imagine the test will be similar at Parkhead, but Rangers should be able to handle whatever Celtic throw at them and they have enough in their armoury to emerge victorious.

Defensively, Rangers need to be resolute and compact. There can be no repeat of the debacle witnessed back in February. In an attacking sense, there are a plethora of options available to van Bronckhorst to win the game.

Antonio Colak is the man of the moment. The Croatian has enjoyed a blistering start to his Rangers career with seven goals notched last month. You have to go back to Marco Negri for the last time a signing made such an instant impact in front of goal. You sense Malik Tillman and Ryan Kent will also have big roles to play if Rangers are to come away with a positive result.

Even if the result is one that puts smiles on faces, it’s important not to get carried away. As we witnessed last season when Filip Helander helped secure a 1-0 win for a Covid-ravaged Rangers, it is only three points in what is a long and arduous season.

Defeat, however, would leave very little margin for error, if any, until the two sides meet again at Ibrox on January 2nd.

This piece is an extract from today’s Rangers Insider newsletter, which is emailed out at 5pm every weekday with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from the Rangers Review team.

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