Rangers vs Celtic: Kick-off time, team news and why the League Cup derby matters

The first Old Firm derby of the campaign takes place on Sunday with a spot in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals at stake. Rangers welcome Celtic to Ibrox for a midday kick-off played entirely in front of home supporters, with both clubs still processing bruising European eliminations and two managers preparing for their first taste of this fixture from the dugout.

• Rangers and Celtic meet in a League Cup quarter-final on Sunday at 12:00 BST at Ibrox.
• No away fans will attend after a temporary agreement between the Glasgow clubs and the SPFL.
• Both sides suffered damaging exits in European competition earlier this season.
• Derek McInnes and Martin O'Neill are preparing for their first Old Firm derby as managers.
• Celtic dominate recent League Cup meetings, but their record in this competition at Ibrox is weak.

What is at stake in the Rangers vs Celtic League Cup quarter-final

This is not a league fixture but a straight knockout tie, meaning one of Glasgow's big two will be out before the semi-final stage. Rangers legend Graeme Souness described it as a chance for both clubs to put down a marker in their first meeting of the new season. The winner advances to the last four, while the loser misses out on the first domestic trophy of the campaign.

Rangers have made a habit of reaching the semi-finals in this competition, failing to do so only once in the past decade. Celtic have not exited at the quarter-final stage since 2009, when Hearts won 1-0 at Celtic Park through a Michael Stewart penalty and a late red card for current coach Stephen McManus.

Why there will be no away supporters at Ibrox

Sunday's quarter-final will be played without visiting fans. The SPFL confirmed earlier this month a temporary arrangement removing away allocations for all matches between the two Glasgow rivals this season. The decision followed the Scottish FA's independent review into the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox last term, a game marked by disorder and pitch invasions from both sets of supporters.

About 8,000 Celtic fans attended that March tie, far more than previous away allocations, to see their side win on penalties. The unrest that followed forced the SFA to order both clubs to play their next home Scottish Cup matches behind closed doors. For this weekend's League Cup meeting, Rangers initially suggested an allocation of 300 tickets for Celtic, but the proposal was rejected and the SPFL ruling means no away fans will be inside Ibrox.

European setbacks and domestic response from both Glasgow clubs

Both teams arrive after contrasting spells at home and shared pain on the continent. Celtic looked in complete control of their Champions League play-off against LASK and even took a fourth-goal aggregate lead through an early Callum McGregor strike in Austria. What followed was a collapse of remarkable proportions, with LASK fighting back to win 5-1 on the night and 5-4 across the tie.

Domestically, Brendan Rodgers' side has won all six Scottish Premiership matches with 14 goals scored and just three conceded, though the numbers do not tell the whole story. They laboured past Dundee at home on the opening day and needed a narrow victory at St Johnstone in midweek, a performance far from convincing after heavy rotation by Martin O'Neill.

Rangers experienced a version of the same continental frustration. They lost 2-1 away to Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok in the Europa League third qualifying round, and a 1-1 home draw sent them into the Conference League play-offs. A 1-0 first-leg win over Jablonec in Glasgow was not enough, as the Czech club progressed on penalties in the return leg.

Derek McInnes began his league career as Rangers boss with a draw at Dundee United and a defeat to Hibernian, leaving him winless after two Premiership matches. A dominant League Cup win against St Mirren and four straight league victories since have changed the mood around Ibrox ahead of the derby.

Ibrox factor and the managers' verdicts on the derby atmosphere

McInnes is leaning on the energy of a near-capacity crowd of about 50,000. He knows Rangers will not control the full ninety minutes against Celtic and wants the home support to help his team through difficult spells. After a period of frustration at the club, the Rangers manager is determined to show his side can deliver something different.

You're not going to play Celtic and dominate the game for 90 minutes. We'll have spells, they'll have spells, it's just the way it is. I think it's important that we tap into having that 50,000 behind us and really make it as tough for Celtic as possible.

Martin O'Neill acknowledges the atmosphere can swing the game and said an early Celtic goal could turn Ibrox anxious. His focus is on making sure his team keeps possession, dictates the tempo and does not let the home crowd take over the tie.

I suppose if you get in front in the game, that makes them anxious. Talking about getting in front and getting in front are two different things. The crowd will be right behind their team, which you would expect. We know we're up against a very fine side.

League Cup head-to-head record and Old Firm history for both managers

Celtic have won the last six League Cup meetings between the clubs since losing the 2011 final to Rangers. However, their record in this competition at Ibrox is a different story. Celtic's most recent League Cup win at the ground came in the group stage in 1973, and that same season they beat Rangers in the semi-finals, but they have never won a knockout cup tie in Govan.

The overall picture at Ibrox is also unflattering for Celtic: just four wins in their last fourteen visits. Martin O'Neill has managed eleven games against Rangers and has a strong personal record with six victories, one draw and four defeats. Derek McInnes arrives with a far less favourable history against Celtic, having won only ten of his 61 meetings as a manager, alongside four draws and 47 losses.

Frequently asked questions about the Rangers vs Celtic derby