Clement must now unleash £21k-p/w Rangers gem who has won 7 games vs Celtic

This afternoon, Rangers will be aiming for their first Old Firm triumph at Parkhead since 2020.
Borna-Barisic

In their most recent Premiership match, Glasgow Rangers trounced Motherwell on Christmas Eve, and it appeared to have prepared them well for their match against Ross County a few days later.

Unfortunately, the match had to be postponed since it was difficult to travel from Dingwall due to storm Gerrit’s destructive effects in the north of Scotland.

This has provided Philippe Clement with a much-needed break after a demanding schedule over the past several weeks, and it will prepare his team well for this afternoon’s matchup with Celtic.
Rangers League Cup Final: Clement

The Gers are in a far better position than they were a few months ago, having closed the margin at the top of the Premiership to only five points, despite having two games remaining.

The Belgian coach doesn’t have much leeway when it comes to rotation with this severely injured group, so the main question will be who starts at left defense this afternoon.
Numbers game between Ridvan Yilmaz and Motherwell

After playing the entire 90 minutes against St Johnstone only a few days earlier, the Turkish defender was given the opportunity to shine in the starting XI against Well, and he contributed to the 2-0 victory.

Yilmaz performed admirably defensively against the Steelmen, winning four of his six duels in total. He also made three clearances and four interceptions.
Rangers, Yilmaz, Ridvan

He was not quite as effective in an attacking capacity. During the match, the young player completed just two successful crosses, made just one crucial pass, and lost possession an astounding 21 times.

The left-back has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his time in Scotland, but he does require a respectable run of games to fully realize his potential.
Rangers facts pertaining to Ridvan Yilmaz

In the summer of 2022, the Light Blues paid £5 million for the former Besiktas defender, with former manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst hoping to assemble a team capable of winning Scottish football.

With spectacular performances for Besiktas, the young jewel has garnered plaudits from former athletic director Ross Wilson, who said: “He’s a talented young player who has been coveted throughout Europe.”

We are also aware of his great reputation inside the Turkish National Team. We are thrilled to have Ridvan join the Rangers team as another talented young player.”

Regretfully, he had trouble settling, therefore his first full season was more lows than highs. The 22-year-old, who had only made five appearances for the team, had a hamstring injury that caused him to miss 29 games, which hindered his progress.

After his recovery, he participated in all five of the team’s league games for the full 90 minutes, and it appeared as though he was making a name for himself as a potential star for the current campaign.

Yilmaz has, however, played in this period very sporadically, similar to 2022–2023. He hasn’t played a minute of continental football this season because Michael Beale left him out of the Europa League team.

Despite having started seven league games and even scoring his first goal for the team in a League Cup match against Livingston, Clement might start with a more experienced defense in his match against Celtic, which is shaping up to be possibly the biggest game of the season thus far.

Borna Barisic, who was not included in the starting lineup against Motherwell, may make a comeback because of his wealth of Old Firm derby experience. However, he may not be the solution in the long run.
Record of Borna Barisic against Celtic

The £21k-per-week left-back has played against Celtic a total of 17 times since joining Rangers in 2018.

Barisic has only emerged victorious from these matches seven times; he was not present for the triumphs over Celtic in 2018, 2019, or 2023.

The Croatian has five assists in these 17 games, and if he starts this afternoon, Clement will be hoping to see him frequently blast down the left wing.

He has been the highlight of some memorable games, including their 4-1 Scottish Cup triumph in 2021 that sent the Gers into the quarterfinals and their first victory at Parkhead in nine years in December 2019.

The 31-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the current campaign, and while his future is still up in the air, it is likely that he will be eager to add two or three more Old Firm victories before moving on to new opportunities.
The numbers for Borna Barisic this season

Despite not being at his best right now, the left-back has shown flashes of brilliance this season.
European League, Barisic Rangers Premiership, Clement Devine
Related Clement might take Barisic’s position in the Rangers’ pursuit of the 5 foot 8 prospect.
Rangers are looking to add additional players, thus they have scouted a few defenders.

In fact, Barisic is currently ranked fourth for assists (two), tackles per game (1.6), and key passes per game (2.2) among the Light Blues players, demonstrating that he is still one of the team’s best players in terms of these performance metrics.

Journalist Josh Bunting bestowed a great deal of praise on him throughout the 2020–21 title-winning season. He has been a mainstay in the defense since 2018.
European League, Barisic Rangers Premiership, Clement Devine

“Borna Barišić is an amazing player who possesses all the tools in his arsenal. His free kick today further demonstrated his brilliance from set pieces.” I think he is greatly underappreciated and that his game has a lot of distinct parts.

These numbers will allow Clement to unleash Barisic for the 18th time in his Gers career against Celtic, and he will be more than ready for the matchup given that a win is essential for the championship.

Yilmaz’s moment will undoubtedly come, but as he gets ready to manage in his first-ever Old Firm derby, the Belgian manager just cannot afford to take any chances at this time.

The Light Blues will be under pressure to break their winning streak at Parkhead, which dates back to October 2020. With their current performance, they have every chance to put on a show and take all three points.

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