Former Celtic ace Paul Hartley believes Rangers face a must-win game against the Hoops this weekend, given their current position in the league standings. Steven Gerrard’s side are currently 10 points behind their Old Firm rivals at the top of the table and Hartley suggests that anything less than a win at the weekend could end their title prospects.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, the former Hoops midfielder said that the Gers have no choice other than go for maximum points, given the distance between them and their cross-town rivals. Should this not be the case, Hartley feels the Hoops will have the clear edge to secure an eighth successive Scottish Premiership title.

Celtic’s winter signing Oliver Burke is determined to make a strong impression with the Scottish champions in order to break into the national team. The 21-year-old already has five caps with the Scotland national side but none of those have come in the past 18 months where he has struggled for consistency and gametime.

Speaking to reporters, Burke highlighted that he would like to restore his place with Scotland and he is eager to make the most of his opportunity with the Glasgow giants, he said: "I am really eager. It is something I have my eyes set on and I really want to be back involved with it but we will see what happens.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has told his team to ‘remember the level’ after they got the better of Celtic after 13 matches.

The Glasgow outfit had suffered disappointing results at the hands of their Old Firm rivals over the past seven years but they managed to end the streak with a 1-0 triumph after Ryan Jack found the scoresheet in the 30th minute.

Brendan Rodgers claims that his Celtic team were not at their races in the recent game against Red Bull Salzburg in the Europa League. Salzburg were able to claim a 3-1 victory in the match as they fully capitalised on Celtic being reduced to 10 men following the red card for James Forrest. Even though Odsonne Edouard had provided Celtic with an advantage after his second minute goal, the home team were able to gain control of the game just after half-time. The team scored three times in the space of 20 minutes in order to get a 3-1 lead. As a result, Celtic’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Europa League may have taken an early blow.

After the game, Rogers said that he could not have any complaints about the defeat since Celtic were second-best throughout the game. He pointed out to the incredible work they put in by Salzburg even when Celtic were reduced to 10 men when playing away from home. The Austrian champions were able to reach the semifinals of the Europa League last season and they possess an incredibly rich squad, which was apparent from the manner of their win. Salzburg were keen to capitalise on home advantage since other opponents in the group happen to be quite tough.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has highlighted that the club are showing signs of regression and they may not be able to replicate the showing from the previous two campaigns. Under the management of Rodgers, Celtic have secured every domestic title up for grabs over the past couple of years but the team have not made the best of starts this term.

As such, Rodgers believes the Hoops could expect a tough season ahead with their attacking department in particular not playing to the best of their abilities, he said: “I don’t think we are anywhere near the level of our game. The win on Thursday was probably down to spirit and persistence. I said last week at St Mirren, even with 10 men, we were dominant.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is hopeful that Moussa Dembele’s leg injury is only a minor one after he was forced to be substituted during the second half of the 3-0 win over Alashkert. The Frenchman netted a brace within the opening 20 minutes of the game and this ensured that the Hoops enjoyed a comfortable night despite Jozo Simunovic being sent off in just the 11th minute for a high-footed challenge.

Speaking after the match, Rodgers revealed that Dembele had felt some tightness behind his legs but he remains hopeful that the concern is not a major one, he said: “He was tight at the back of his legs so we will need to assess that tomorrow and in the next couple of days. He is as fit as he has been since I've been here at this stage of the season so hope it was just a tightness and he will be okay.”

Cruzeiro president Wagner Pires has dropped an update on the future of midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta amid the ongoing speculation linking him with Celtic. The 24-year-old featured in two games for Uruguay during the recent World Cup in Russia and his stock now appears to have risen with the Hoops holding a genuine interest in his services.

Speaking to reporters, Wagner admitted that the club may consider sanctioning the exit of Arrascaeta considering the club are only ‘average’ in terms of their financial stability. Nevertheless, he clarified that there has not been any approach for the Uruguay international and everything for now could be considered as speculation.

Celtic have enjoyed yet another hugely successful season in Scotland, rallying to a seventh consecutive Scottish Premiership title under the guidance of Northern Irish boss Brendan Rodgers, the 49th crown in the club's illustrious history.

Meanwhile, the Hoops will also aim to secure a Scottish FA Cup triumph when they take on Motherwell at the famous Hampden Park in Glasgow on May 19th. That would see the Bhoys claim an impressive second successive cup coup under rejuvenated coach Rodgers as well.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has said that the Hoops lacked bravery as they ousted by Zenit St Petersburg in the Europa League round of 32. The Hoops had an invaluable 1-0 lead from the first-leg of the encounter, but they could not make most of their possession at the Krestovsky Stadium.

Speaking after the game, Rodgers was disappointed by Celtic's showing on the road, and indicated that familiar defensive failings were due to their lack of aggression from the back which saw Branislav Ivanovic, DalerKuzyaev, and AleksandrKokorin find the scoresheet.

Celtic are set to take the fight to Bayern Munich at their home – the Allianz Arena. The game is slated for Wednesday October 18, and it would be the first time Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes oversees a UEFA Champions League game since lifting the title in 2013 with the German club.

Heynckes ended his Bayern coaching career on an excellent note years back when he did the treble. He won the Champions League for Bayern and helped form a stable side that Pep Guardiola inherited. The Spaniard would go on to spend three successful years before exiting. Guardiola did not have as much success as his previous club Barcelona, however, the Catalan manager won the league the three years and helped the club to the Champions League semifinals three straight times.