Celtic vs Rangers: What channel is Scottish Premiership clash on? TV, live stream and kick off time info

Celtic face Rangers in the fourth Glasgow derby showdown of the season at Parkhead, with the visitors knowing anything other than a win could end any lingering hopes of raining in the runaway Premiership leaders.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are nine points clear with just eight games left of the 2022/23 campaign and opposite number Michael Beale, who has won 15 matches out of 16 to date, will recognise his team will need to record two wins over the Hoops to stand any chance of keeping their faint title prospects alive after failing to make a dent in the gap at the summit.

Both sides faced off on league duty at Ibrox on January 2 when Kyogo Furuhashi struck an 88th minute equaliser to seal a 2-2 draw for the current title holders. Celtic then emerged victorious in the Viaplay Cup final at Hampden Park in February. This weekend’s game will be shown live on TV and online. Here is everything you need to know about how to catch the action:

What TV channel is Celtic vs Rangers on?

The Scottish Premiership clash at Celtic Park will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Football and in HD. Build up for the game starts at 11:30am UK time - one hour before kick-off.

Celtic vs Rangers live stream and kick off time

Sky customers can stream the match live via the SkyGo app, which is available to download on most mainstream app stores. Non-sky customers have the option to stream the match online via NowTV. The subscription service offers a variety of packages including a one off ‘day pass’ for £11.99 which gives customers full access to Sky Sports for 24 hours.

The match is due to take place on Saturday, April 8 and is due to kick off at 12.30pm UK time.

Will there be away fans in attendance?

Rangers fans will NOT have an away allocation for this match. The decision comes following a discussion between the two clubs, with many supporters left furious. There have been several flashpoints on both sides of the city in previous Old Firm matches since fans returned to stadiums following the Covid pandemic.

Reduced ticket allocations have proved difficult to police than the previous wider access and a decision has been taken on safety grounds but more talks are required to avoid a similar shut-out next season. It is understood the relevant parties are working together to find a solution for the future.

Celtic informed Rangers they would not be taking up their allowance for the post-split encounter later this season and the Ibrox side did likewise with their tickets earmarked for Saturday’s meeting. The pair also clash in the Scottish Cup semi-finals at Hampden with both clubs receiving an 50/50 split.

Celtic vs Rangers previous head-to-heads

This will be the FOURTH meeting between the sides this term. The first head-to-head of the season was a Premiership match at Celtic Park on September 3 where Israeli winger Liel Abada netted a double with Jota and David Turnbull also on the scoresheet in a 4-0 win for Ange Postecoglou’s men.

The second instalment came on January 2 at Ibrox when two quick fire goals at the start of the second half from Ryan Kent and James Tavernier cancelled out Daizen Maeda’s early opener before Kyogo Furuhashi salvaged a dramatic share of the spoils in a thrilling encounter.

The third meeting on February 26 at the national stadium saw Hoops top scorer Kyogo score a brace for the second League Cup final in succession to render Alfredo Morelos’ goal a consolation as the Parkhead club retained the trophy.

Overall, Celtic and Rangers have played each other 433 times competitively in their history. The Hoops have won 163 of those meetings while the Light Blues have won 168 and there have been 102 draws (source: Soccerbase).

Who are the match officials?

Kevin Clancy will be the referee for Saturday’s Premiership clash between Celtic and Rangers. The last Old Firm match he refereed was in August 2021 where the Light Blues beat the Hoops 1-0 at Ibrox, courtesy of Filip Helander’s second half header.

This season he has shown 78 yellows and six reds across 20 Scottish Premiership matches. The 39-year-old will be assisted by linesman David McGeachie and Ross Macleod, with John Beaton confirmed as the fourth official. Nick Walsh takes charge of VAR duties, alongside assistant Daniel McFarlane.