Martin O'Neill Prepares for Strange Old Firm Clash Without Away Fans

Celtic boss Martin O'Neill says this weekend’s Old Firm clash will feel “strange” without a single away supporter inside Ibrox, as his side head across the city for a Scottish League Cup quarter-final with an edge all of its own.

The decision to lock out away fans from all Old Firm fixtures this season came after talks between Celtic, Rangers and the SPFL, following an independent Scottish FA review into post-match crowd disorder during last season’s Scottish Cup meeting. The same rule will apply at Celtic Park next weekend, when the sides meet in the league for the first time this campaign.

No away end. No pocket of green in a sea of blue. For O’Neill, that changes the feel of the occasion.

“I think that it will be strange in many aspects not to have any away fans in our area. I always felt that they gave us a crumb of comfort,” he said, underlining how much that small travelling support has meant on hostile days at Ibrox.

He knows exactly what awaits his team on Sunday.

“I think the crowd will obviously be right behind their team, and I would expect that to be reciprocated the following Sunday. We know we are up against a very fine side and a crowd who can make a difference.

“If we can get in front in the game, that will make the crowd anxious.”

That, in essence, is Celtic’s mission: strike first, turn the noise, and let tension creep into Ibrox.

Rotation, risk and a star on the bench

O’Neill has already shown he is willing to gamble with his selection to keep his squad fresh for a packed schedule. In the 1-0 win over St Johnstone, he left star forward Camilo Durán on the bench, a bold call that paid off on the scoreboard if not on the nerves.

“He has been so brilliant for us,” O’Neill said. “I thought that we could rest him for the game, then I was not sure that we could. I'm not sure that we're good enough to rest people in that sense.

“Over the course of time we will have to make changes, particularly since we're playing European games.”

That line tells its own story. Celtic are trying to juggle domestic demands with Europe, and the manager is walking the tightrope between rotation and rhythm. Durán’s minutes will be watched carefully, but his importance to this tie is obvious.

There is at least one fitness boost. Midfielder Mika Baur is back in full training after a minor knock, giving O’Neill another option in the middle of the pitch for what is likely to be a frantic, physical contest.

Johnstone vs Sinisalo – a big call in goal

If the atmosphere will be one-sided, the goalkeeping situation is anything but clear-cut.

New signing Sam Johnstone has arrived to push Viljami Sinisalo, and O’Neill admits he has yet to settle on who starts in the Ibrox cauldron.

“I haven't made my mind up at all,” he said. “I thought Sam did very well, and we needed to get a look at what he could do. It's great to have the two of them. Sinisalo has done exceptionally well for us.”

It is a classic Old Firm dilemma: stick with the established performer or lean into the experience and presence of the new man. One of them will carry the weight of a quarter-final, a hostile home crowd and, possibly, a penalty shootout.

Ready for the spot-kick spotlight

This tie must produce a winner. If 90 minutes and extra time can’t separate them, it goes to penalties, with no away fans there to roar Celtic on if the shootout unfolds in front of the home end.

O’Neill insists his side will not be caught cold from 12 yards.

“We cannot replicate the stadium and the crowd, but if you've not practiced, it can be a double whammy for you. You might as well have a few shots and that's what we do at the end of our training sessions.”

It is a simple routine, but in a fixture where details decide everything, those extra strikes in training might matter.

No away section. No shared noise. Just Rangers, Celtic, and a quarter-final that could tilt the mood of an entire season.