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

Glasgow Rangers defeated Motherwell in their latest Premiership clash on Christmas Eve, and it looked to have set them up nicely for their clash against Ross County just a few days later.

Unfortunately, due to storm Gerrit causing havoc in the north of Scotland, the match was postponed as travel from Dingwall proved to be impossible.

This has given Philippe Clement a much-needed respite following a hectic fixture list over the previous few weeks, and it will set his side up nicely for the clash against Celtic this afternoon.

With the Gers closing the gap at the top of the Premiership to just five points – albeit with two games in hand – they are in a much better position than they were a few months ago.

With a squad ravaged by injuries, the Belgian coach doesn’t have much room for manoeuvre with regard to rotation and the key question will be who will start at left-back this afternoon?

Ridvan Yilmaz’s game in numbers vs Motherwell

The Turkish defender was given the chance to shine in the starting XI against Well having played the full 90 minutes just a few days prior against St Johnstone, and he played his part in the 2-0 win.

Yilmaz was solid against the Steelmen, winning four out of his six total duels, making three clearances and four interceptions as he impressed defensively.

In an attacking sense, he didn’t quite have as much influence. The youngster made only one key pass during the clash while delivering just two successful crosses, and he ended up losing possession a staggering 21 times.

The left-back does need a decent run of matches in order to showcase his true potential, and he has shone in spells during his time in Scotland.

Ridvan Yilmaz’s statistics at Rangers

The former Besiktas defender cost the Light Blues a fee of £5m back during the summer of 2022 as former manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst was aiming to build a side which could dominate Scottish football.

Former sporting director Ross Wilson lavished praise on the young gem, saying: “He’s a talented young player who has been coveted throughout Europe following outstanding performances for Besiktas.

“We also know how highly regarded he is in the Turkish National Team. This is another exciting young player to join our squad, and we are delighted to bring Ridvan to Rangers.”

Unfortunately, his first full season was filled with more lows than highs as he struggled to settle. The 22-year-old missed 29 matches due to suffering a hamstring injury after making only five appearances for the club and this injury disrupted any progress he had made.

He recovered and played the full 90 minutes in all of the club’s final five league fixtures of the season, and it looked as though he was establishing himself as someone who could be a key player during the current campaign.

Like 2022/23 however, this term has seen Yilmaz play rather intermittently. Michael Beale left him out of the Europa League squad therefore he hasn’t played a single minute of continental football this season.

He has started seven league matches and even scored his first goal for the club during a League Cup tie against Livingston, yet with a clash against Celtic proving to be arguably the biggest game of the season so far, Clement may go with experience in his defence.

This could see Borna Barisic return to the starting XI having missed the clash against Motherwell and, while he may not be the answer, especially in the long term, he does have plenty of experience in the Old Firm derby.

Borna Barisic’s record vs Celtic

The £21k-per-week left-back has been at Rangers since 2018 and since then, he has played against Celtic a total of 17 times.

During these clashes, Barisic has been on the winning side on just seven occasions, missing victories in 2018, 2019 and 2023 which would have boosted his tally of wins against Celtic.

During these 17 games, the Croatian has registered five assists and Clement will be keen on seeing him bombing down the left wing often if he starts this afternoon.

He has starred in notable matches such as their first win at Parkhead in nine years in December 2019, along with the 4-1 Scottish Cup victory in 2021 which saw the Gers secure passage into the quarter-finals.

His contract expires at the end of the current season and while his future remains uncertain, there is no doubt the 31-year-old will be keen on adding another two or three Old Firm victories before he moves on to pastures new.

Borna Barisic’s statistics this season

The left-back might not be in the best form of his career, but he has impressed in spells during the current season.

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Indeed, among the Light Blues squad, Barisic currently ranks second for key passes per game in the Premiership (2.2) along with ranking fourth for assists (two) and for tackles per game (1.6) and it proves he is still proving to be among the best members of the squad with regard to these performance metrics.

He has been a mainstay in the defence since 2018 and during the 2020/21 title-winning campaign, journalist Josh Bunting heaped plenty of praise on him, saying:

“Borna Barišić is just incredible, fantastic player he has everything in his locker, brilliant from set-pieces and his free-kick today proves that. Has so many different elements to his game and for me is extremely underrated.”

These statistics will give Clement the licence to unleash Barisic against Celtic for the 18th time in his Gers career and with a win crucial with regard to the title, he will be more than up for the clash.

Yilmaz’s time will come in the future surely, but for now, the Belgian manager simply cannot afford any gambles as he prepares to manage in his first-ever Old Firm derby.

Having not won at Parkhead since October 2020, the onus will be on the Light Blues to end this hoodoo and, given their recent form, they have every opportunity to put on a performance and claim all three points.