Rangers or Celtic: who will the league split benefit more?

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The inevitable league split is coming up, and it will be interesting to see which of the Old Firm sides thrives under the unique system this season.

We are just a few games away from the Scottish Premiership’s annual split, which will see the top six sides compete against one another until the end of the season.

As you would expect most of the focus will be on Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers, as the two battle it out for the right to be called the champions of Scotland once again. Before that, though, it is time to look at which side out of the two will have the advantage.

For the purpose of this piece, the assumption will be that Kilmarnock maintains their place in the top half ahead of Motherwell.

Celtic

Celtic’s record against the rest of the top six is about as strong as you would imagine it to be, although there have been a few hiccups here and there.

Aside from Rangers, they have played every team three times, picking up nine points against Aberdeen, six points against Hearts, five points against Hibernian, and unfortunately just four points from a possible nine against Kilmarnock. Then you can add in their 2-0 win and the 0-0 draw against their neighbours which has ensured that the gap at the top remains at six points.

Rangers

Rangers have played one game less than their bitter rivals in this miniature league table of sorts, with that clash set to come in a few weeks against Kilmarnock. As it stands they have picked up just one point from two games against them during this campaign, however, a win will draw them level with Celtic’s record.

They have also picked up nine points against Aberdeen, and they have even surpassed Celtic when it comes to Hearts, accumulating seven points from a possible nine. Unfortunately, their record of three points against Hibernian in three games affects their overall standings.

So when you weigh up the standings of both teams against the rest of Scotland’s finest, Celtic do in fact edge it, but it is closer than most would think. If Rangers can pick up an impressive result against their rivals in the upcoming Old Firm derby, then we could be in for an interesting final phase of the season.