Old Firm: Too close to call

Rangers came out on top when the sides last met

Rangers host Celtic on Saturday lunchtime aiming to close the gap on the league leaders to just one point.

And after Celtic's runaway success last season, when they finished 17 points clear of their Old Firm rivals, all the signs point to a much closer contest this term.

Although the SPL season is just 14 games old, it is clear Rangers are a much-improved team.

And the home side will be buoyed by the extra-time win over the visitors in the CIS Insurance Cup tie earlier this month - a result which ended a run of seven straight Old Firm victories for Celtic.

The last of those wins came at Celtic Park in August, courtesy of an 85th-minute goal from Alan Thompson.

This month's cup tie was the usual stirring affair, played at a whirlwind pace and full of bruising tackles.

And this time it is was Rangers who needed a late goal to force an extra 30 minutes.

There is no doubt; these are two closely matched teams.

In their head-to-head clashes last season, Rangers were often out-muscled by Celtic.

But the arrival of Marvin Andrews and Jean-Alain Boumsong, in particular, has given Alex McLeish's side a more solid look in defence.

Backed up by ever-reliable goalkeeper Stefan Klos, Rangers have conceded just five goals in the SPL.

By contrast, Celtic's rearguard, so formidable at domestic level in recent times, has looked porous this season, letting in 13 goals.

However, Celtic's goal-difference remains better than Rangers', having scored 10 more than their city rivals.

And, even with the peerless Henrik Larsson gone, that is where Celtic appear to have a slight edge.

John Hartson, Chris Sutton and Henri Camara are capable of terrorising Scottish defences, while Thompson has an excellent scoring record in Old Firm ties.

The absence of Sutton in the CIS Cup match was telling and his return is a huge boost for manager Martin O'Neill.

Chris Sutton is a hugely influential player for Celtic

In Dado Prso and Nacho Novo, Rangers have a new strike partnership that is showing signs of gelling and Shota Arveladze remains a threat - as he showed with the winning goal in the CIS Cup.

Novo's speed and direct running troubled Celtic at Ibrox and McLeish will be delighted the striker won his appeal against the harsh red card he was shown last weekend.

The midfield battle will be hotly contested as ever and it was an area Rangers had the upper hand in last time out.

Hamed Namouchi and Peter Lovenkrands possess great pace on the flanks, while the revitalised pair of Fernando Ricksen and Bob Malcolm provide the steel.

Juninho has been hugely disappointing since his arrival at Celtic and he looked like a child who'd strayed on to the big boy's pitch when the teams last met.

But, with teenager Aiden McGeady showing good form and Sutton back, the Brazilian is likely to be on the bench this time.

And, in Thompson, Neil Lennon and Stilian Petrov, O'Neill has three top class midfielders at his disposal.

Only one of the last 17 Old Firm meetings has been won by more than one goal, which tells the whole story.

There is very little to separate these bitter adversaries.

Regardless of Saturday's result, the title chase is set to go down to the wire. After all, it was just the season before last that the league crown was settled in Rangers' favour by just one goal.