It feels like Glasgow's big two play each other every few weeks.

But it's that time of the year again, as Celtic prepare to host Rangers in the first derby match between the sides of the 2024/25 season.

Brendan Rodgers' side has the chance to take an early five-point lead over their arch-city rivals with a victory, while Philippe Clement will have other ideas, as Rangers could potentially leapfrog the champions with a win.

Here are the predictions from our writers ahead of the big game...

Matthew Lindsay

Celtic 3 Rangers 1

I do not subscribe to the widely-held view that Celtic are now unbeatable domestically and Rangers are in total disarray.

The 6-0 win which the Ibrox club romped to against Ross County in a William Hill Premiership match at Hampden last weekend strongly suggested they are not the spent force which many in the Scottish game would have you believe.

Their performance in the Scottish Cup final back in May, albeit with an entirely different side, should give manager Philippe Clement confidence his men can compete with their city rivals in the East End of Glasgow.

Yes, they lost after conceding a last-minute goal. But they were arguably the better side, not least in the midfield area, over the course of the 90 minutes.  

That said, I can only see Celtic prevailing in the first Old Firm game of the 2024/25 campaign at Parkhead tomorrow. They are in inspired form at the moment. Having all 58,000 fans inside the ground roaring them on will once again give them a huge advantage.

Rangers, who will be without Oscar Cortes, Ridvan Yilmaz and possibly Nicolas Raskin, have too many key men out and too many individuals who are still finding their feet in their new surroundings to be able to record their first away win in the world-famous fixture since 2020 for me.  

All that said, Cameron Carter-Vickers will be a huge loss for Celtic if he fails to pass a late fitness test.

Graeme McGarry

Celtic 2 Rangers 0

Trying to predict a derby match – particularly this one – can leave you looking rather foolish, but anything other than a relatively comfortable Celtic win would be a huge surprise here.

While Rangers have competed well in the last couple of Old Firm encounters, Philippe Clement has yet to win one, and their record over the last few years at Celtic Park in particular has been abysmal.

Does this Rangers team have it in them to go across the city without any of their fans and return with a result? I just don’t see it, and I think Celtic will be going five points clear of their great rivals after just four games of the season.

Jonny McFarlane

Celtic 3 Rangers 1

Brendan Rodgers men are on a crest of a wave after a superb start to the season. Despite losing Matt O'Riley they've kept all their other stars and added £30m worth of talent on permanent deals and come into this match as heavy favourites for a reason.

Rangers look well short of the quality that will be needed for a game of this magnitude and are still coming together as a squad. Given the amount of comings and goings in Govan, Clement has previously said his team won't begin to look like the finished article until much later in the year and there's sensible thinking behind the Belgian's position.

While Rangers fans are notoriously demanding, there is an acceptance that the manager needs time to rebuild the club and is working under very trying circumstances. That said, realpolitik dictates that Old Firm failure will only ever be tolerated for so long.

David Irvine

Celtic 3 Rangers 0

Even without Matt O'Riley, Celtic just have so much quality in their ranks.
This is an opportunity for Brendan Rodgers and his side to put down a marker with a statement victory to show the gap between themselves and Rangers at the current moment.

Philippe Clement has bolstered his squad but it'll be too soon for any new arrivals to make an impact in a high-pressure derby environment.

Celtic are well clear of their rivals currently, and I expect they'll prove that to be the case on Sunday.

Joe Donnelly

Celtic 2 Rangers 0 

I expect a hard-fought 90 minutes of football on Sunday, but I can't foresee an outcome that doesn't fall in Celtic's favour at this juncture. The crowd deficit will always be a big deal in these fixtures, and this weekend's derby is set to be played in front of a full house of home supporters.

Add that to the fact that the bond between the fans, the players and the manager feels as strong as it's ever been at Celtic Park, and Philippe Clement and his side really do have their work cut out for them.

Cliched as it sounds, the first 15-20 minutes will be massive for both sides in setting the tone – I just think it'll be Celtic who'll control the narrative over the course.

Ewan Paton

Celtic 0 Rangers 0

I'll keep things interesting and buck the trend of my colleagues who are unanimous in their view that Celtic will walk all over the top of the Ibrox club. A drab stalemate to kick off the first of many derby encounters this season.

There's no doubt the champions are a better team, with better players and manager, however, the Old Firm can do funny things to people and throw up results when you least expect them.

Celtic really should win given the aforementioned factors at play, and it would not surprise me if they do. We're still in the infancy of the season though, and no team has hit their top form at this stage.

By no means do I think Rangers can claim a victory in Glasgow's east end, but I do think they could be capable of earning a point - and that's something that would be widely celebrated by those of a Light Blues persuasion.