Rangers and Celtic usually can't wait to play each other. But today's first Old Firm showdown of the season is a bit different.
For Rangers' manager Alex McLeish, the grudge game between the Glasgow rivals comes too soon after his club's match Wednesday night in the Champions League.
Rangers drew 1-1 in Athens against Panathinaikos and didn't arrive back in Glasgow until 5am on Thursday. Celtic, on the other hand, played at home Tuesday in a comfortable 2-0 Champions League victory over Lyon.
The situation is similar to last season's final Old Firm derby, which was played three days after Celtic won at Portuguese side Boavista in the semifinals of the UEFA Cup.
"The SPL saw fit to make us play on Saturday at lunchtime, which looks like a case of two wrongs not making a right," McLeish said. "They look as if they have evened up the score for last season.
"It is another example of the Dark Ages in Scotland."
In Saturday's full schedule: Dundee United versus Motherwell; Hearts versus Dundee; Kilmarnock versus Aberdeen; Livingston versus Dunfermline; Partick Thistle versus Hibernian; Rangers versus Celtic.
Rangers lead the league with a perfect 21 points in seven games. Celtic has 19 followed by Hearts (13), Dunfermline (11), Dundee (10), and Livingston, Hibernian, Motherwell and Kilmarnock with eight each. Last-place Partick Thistle has only two points.
Rangers enter the Old Firm game at Ibrox wondering what might have been in the Champions League, where they led 1-0 and had a man advantage but let Panathinaikos equalize in the final two minutes.
The draw left Rangers tied with Manchester United for the group lead, with the two teams facing off on Oct. 22 at Ibrox.
Rangers' Dutch striker Michael Mols called the late goal "just stupid."
Despite the draw, Rangers manager Alex McLeish still sounded upbeat.
"The mood is great," McLeish said. "I would imagine it would be great in the Celtic camp as well. They have had a terrific result in midweek.
"So there will be two confident teams going into the first Old Firm game. It all points to a great game but I don't really care too much as long as we emerge with the points."
O'Neill sounded like a confident echo.
"Rangers at Ibrox represents a formidable task for us," he said.
"It will be a hard one but after Tuesday we will go there with plenty of confidence. Rangers are playing so well and will also be confident, but the last time we were there we won. So we will go with plenty of confidence."
Immediately after Tuesday's match O'Neill suggested that England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson should consider two of his players -- Chris Sutton and Alan Thompson -- for the England side.
Eriksson's assistant Tord Grip said he had been watching the two.
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