Opinion: Celtic star has a point to prove in derby after Ibrox misfortune

The Glasgow derby against Rangers on Sunday is a big game for Celtic skipper Callum McGregor. It will be only his second visit to Ibrox as Hoops captain, the first ending in a 1-0 loss back in August.

Thankfully his second derby as Celtic captain was much more successful, as he returned to action after injury and led the Hoops to an emphatic 3-0 win at Celtic Park last month.

He will end up – injury permitting – captaining Celtic in three more Glasgow derbies this season, and the game at Ibrox might be the most important of the lot.

The reason the game is so important is because a Celtic win would take the team close to winning the title. Celtic would be six points clear with a huge goal difference advantage. That wouldn’t clinch the title, but it would make the Bhoys heavy favourites.

McGregor will want to be the first Celtic captain to win at Ibrox since 2019 for a number of reasons, most obvious being how close the Hoops would be to winning the title if the team picks up the three points.

However, McGregor could have some extra motivation after his visits to Ibrox last season. He played in three games there and lost them all, scoring an own goal in one and being sent-off in another.

The own goal was particularly disappointing, coming in the 1-0 loss last January, a game which the Hoops dominated for a long spell and indeed, Rangers won without having a shot on target.

The sending-off came in a game when Celtic had already lost the league title, but the red card ended any chances the Hoops had of winning the game, eventually losing 4-1.

McGregor will be determined to make up for the misfortune he went through last season, and that will surely make him determined to lead the Hoops to victory at Ibrox.

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