After their first meeting of the 2026/27 Scottish Premiership season at Celtic Park on September 20, Rangers and Celtic are set to renew hostilities at Ibrox on Saturday, January 2, 2027 — the traditional New Year Old Firm fixture that has, for generations, doubled as one of the biggest dates on the Scottish football calendar. A third and final pre-split meeting between the two Glasgow giants is scheduled for February 27, 2027, back at Celtic Park.
This fixture arrives with genuine narrative weight. Celtic go into the season as defending champions after completing a league and Scottish Cup double in 2025-26 under Martin O’Neill, who took permanent charge of the club last season and has remained in the Celtic Park dugout into the new campaign. For Rangers, the summer brought significant change at the top: Derek McInnes was appointed as the new Ibrox boss, replacing Danny Röhl, and made his competitive bow in the position against Dundee United on the opening weekend of the season.
There’s an added subplot to McInnes’s arrival that makes this particular fixture more interesting than a standard Old Firm clash. McInnes was previously in charge at Hearts, the club that pushed Celtic to the final day of the 2025-26 title race before ultimately finishing second. His first competitive test against Celtic as Rangers manager therefore carries an extra edge — a new manager at one Glasgow giant, looking to succeed where his old club narrowly fell short, against the champions he’s now tasked with dethroning.Second Old Firm meeting of the season, following the September 20 clash at Celtic Park
The traditional New Year’s fixture has long held special significance in the Old Firm calendar, often arriving at a pivotal juncture in the title race as clubs look to build momentum heading into the second half of the season.
Martin O’Neill (Celtic): Now in his permanent role after being installed on a full-time basis last season, O’Neill guided Celtic to a domestic double in his first season back in charge — a remarkable achievement given the turbulence the club went through earlier in that campaign. His track record against Rangers as Celtic manager, both in this spell and his earlier one from 2000-2005, makes him one of the most experienced operators in Old Firm history.
Derek McInnes (Rangers): A well-known figure in Scottish football with previous spells including a long stint at Aberdeen and, more recently, at Hearts. His appointment at Ibrox represents a fresh direction for Rangers following Danny Röhl’s departure, and this fixture will be an early test of how quickly he can build a Rangers side capable of matching Celtic over a full season.
The September result will shape the narrative. Whatever happened in the two sides’ first meeting on September 20 will inevitably frame how this Ibrox return leg is discussed — whether Rangers go in looking to avenge an opening-day defeat, or Celtic arrive aiming to complete a double over their rivals in the first half of the season.
McInnes’s first taste of Ibrox atmosphere in an Old Firm game as home mmanager. Managing Rangers against Celtic at Ibrox is a fundamentally different experience from doing so away from home, and how McInnes sets his side up in front of their own support will say a lot about his approach heading into the business end of the campaign.
O’Neill’s remarkable Old Firm record. Across his time managing Celtic, O’Neill has established himself as one of the more successful managers in this fixture’s history, and Celtic’s players will look to their manager’s experience of these occasions as a source of composure under the inevitable intensity of a New Year Old Firm derby.
The title race context.With Celtic defending their crown and Rangers looking to respond to a disappointing 2025-26 campaign under new management, points from this fixture carry significant weight in the context of where both clubs sit in the table heading into January — traditionally viewed as the midpoint of the title race before the
Old Firm fixtures are consistently among the most heavily broadcast matches in Scottish football, with Sky Sports having shown every Old Firm derby of the 2026/27 season live to that point, including the September 20 meeting at Celtic Park. Given that pattern, this January 2 fixture would be expected to receive similarly prominent live coverage, though broadcasters typically confirm exact channel details and kick-off times closer to the date. Fans should check Sky Sports’ published fixture list, or the equivalent broadcaster in their region, in the weeks leading up to the match for confirmed viewing details.
Whatever the respective league positions of Rangers and Celtic heading into January, matches between these two clubs have a well-earned reputation for producing drama, contentious refereeing moments, and moments that live long in the memory of both sets of supporters. With a new manager at Ibrox facing the reigning double winners, and both sides likely to view the New Year fixture as a pivotal moment in shaping their season, this one looks set to be no exception.
