To win today Celtic needs to be focussed … and fearless.

After the dramatic 2–2 draw at Ibrox last Sunday, I honestly feel that everything is still wide open. To be honest, matches between Celtic and Sevco rarely follow logic anyway. They are built on tension, emotional overload, tears, joy, frustration and everything in between.

That is exactly what makes this rivalry so intense and unpredictable.

Unpredictable because you never truly know what will happen. These matches often turn in the final half hour. Very often the decisive moments arrive somewhere between the 60th minute and the final whistle.

As I said in my article summing up last Sunday’s game, when Sevco score your first instinct is panic. You immediately think: “No, Celtic are not going to win this,” or even worse: “We’re humped.” It’s emotional overload.

But instead of panicking, maybe we should try something else. Maybe we should calm those emotions and think positively.

Do I believe Celtic can win that battle at Ibrox today?

Yes. I do. Because I believe in the Bhoys in green and white.

Celtic is a club that has always found ways to win matches even when everything starts to look horrible. This time it will be a fight. I would even say it will be a battle for life and death.

Ibrox always brings tension, pressure and frustration that builds from the first whistle until the last. To be honest, matches between Celtic and Sevco at Ibrox are legendary for their intensity and atmosphere.

For Celtic supporters, these games almost cause heart attacks.

Battle really is the right word here.

This is not just another match for our Celtic Lions. It feels like standing on the edge of an abyss and trying not to fall. It feels like walking a tightrope and desperately trying to keep your balance. That is what Celtic – and we supporters – face in these derby games.

If Celtic win today, will it be easy? Or will it be another exhausting fight? Could it even go to penalties? To be honest, if I think about that possibility too much my blood pressure probably goes to 300.

I still remember the Premier Sports Cup Final in December 2024 when Celtic beat the Ibrox club after 120 brutal minutes and a penalty shootout. That day genuinely felt like my heart might burst. Celtic won 5–4.

So yes, penalties make me nervous.

Much better if Celtic simply hammer the Ibrox mob and remind them who the real champions of Scotland are. Thinking back to last Sunday’s 2–2 draw, I remember feeling confused when the final whistle blew.

Part of me felt frustrated. There were moments in that second half when Celtic looked like the team we’d been waiting for to show up all season. We looked sharper, quicker and more dangerous going forward.

Deep down, I felt Celtic could have taken more from that game. Had it lasted just ten more minutes I am fully convinced we’d have won.

But at the same time, getting a draw at Ibrox is never simple. The pressure, the noise, the hostility – all of it makes even a point feel like a small battle won. Especially when you start the second half two goals down.

I will never forget the expressions on the faces of the Sevco supporters. That look of disbelief. “Oh no… Celtic did it again.”

Then came the usual complaints about the penalty decision.

Why can they never accept it?

Maybe it’s simply one mob watching another mob on the pitch.

Is today’s match an even bigger battle?

Can Celtic hammer this mob again?

Under Martin O’Neill I feel that Celtic are slowly rediscovering something that has always defined this club. Fight.

There is more steel in the team now. More stubbornness when things become difficult. And O’Neill’s dressing-room talks have a reputation for producing miracles. That mentality matters in matches like this.

Because games against Sevco are rarely decided purely by tactics. They are decided by mentality. By bravery and psychology. By who holds their nerve when the pressure rises.

For me the heartbeat of this Celtic team remains Callum McGregor.

When the match becomes chaotic – and these games always do – McGregor’s calmness becomes priceless. He controls the rhythm, moves the ball, and reminds everyone that Celtic still have control. But there is also a question that lingers.

Who will become the next heartbeat of this team when McGregor eventually steps aside?

Then there is Daizen Maeda.

Even when he is not in the same scoring form as last season, his work rate is relentless. He presses defenders constantly and forces mistakes. That kind of energy is incredibly valuable in derby matches.

Sometimes sheer effort can completely disrupt the opposition’s defensive structure.

Still, I cannot pretend that I have no worries. I do believe Celtic can hammer this mob. But the team must avoid the mistakes we made last time.

Too many defensive lapses. Too many moments where the press did not work.

There were too many situations where Sevco were allowed to control parts of the game. Celtic have shown this season that defensive concentration can disappear for short periods.

Against the Ibrox club, those moments can be punished instantly. These matches are brutal like that. One bad pass. One hesitation. Just one mistake.

Suddenly the entire game turns.

That is why defensive discipline will be crucial today. The back line must stay focused for the full ninety minutes. No silly mistakes. No careless passing around the box.

Above all, no switching off.

From a supporter’s perspective, matches like this are emotionally exhausting. One minute I feel confident Celtic will dominate. The next minute Sevco break forward and my heart feels like it will jump out of my chest.

That is simply the reality of this rivalry. It is never comfortable. It is never simple. Always, it is intense, dramatic and emotionally draining.

Yet despite all of that, I genuinely believe Celtic have a real chance if we can take our chances when the opportunities come today.

My prediction?

If Celtic start with courage, press high and move the ball quickly through midfield, I can see the Hoops edging this battle. It will be tight. It will be tense.

But a narrow victory feels more than possible. Something like a hard-fought 2–1 win for Celtic.

I want to see Celtic play without fear. I want to see confidence, hunger and pride in the badge. Because when Celtic play with heart and conviction, they are capable of beating anyone.

Of course, the nerves will always be there. One mistake can change everything.

But if Celtic stay brave, press hard and remain disciplined at the back, I can see us coming out on top. It will not be comfortable.

But deep down I still believe Celtic have the quality and character to win.

Go out there today, my Lions, and do us proud.