Rangers v Celtic: the 5 key battles that will decide Sunday's Premiership powderkeg

With three points separating the top two in the cinch Premiership, much rests with the eleven players picked for Rangers and Celtic on Sunday at Ibrox.

There are big-game players on each side who can make a difference to not only the match, but given their proximity in the table, the title race. It could come down to fine margins and when two foes are so closely matched, the devil is in the detail and the smaller individual duels which could also have a bearing on the outcome.

Here, we look at some of the areas Sunday’s showdown could be won and lost…

Filip Helander v Giorgos Giakoumakis

The Swedish international will likely be preferred to Leon Balogun to start, given their contrasting travels and participation in the World Cup play-offs. Balogun played 180 minutes in Nigeria and Ghana, Helander five minutes for Sweden.

Even so, his attributes lend themselves to this fixture. Helander is a defender who loves to defend, first and foremost. No nonsense, no risk, just stop the opposition, and it is those principles which will come into play in a bid to shackle Celtic’s in-form Greek striker.

Much has been made of Giakoumakis’ goal-scoring feats, and the fact that so many have been first-time finishes. If Helander is tasked with applying the fundamentals, carrying out the basics with his risk averse nature, it’s unlikely that there will be many first-time opportunities for Giakoumakis to capitalise on. If he is going to score then, he’s going to have to work for it.

Helander already knows what it is like to score an Old Firm winner too and with Celtic at their most vulnerable from set-pieces, aerial superiority at both ends of the pitch could also become a factor of the match, and therefore the title.

James Tavernier v