Two former Chelsea strikers, one English and the other Norwegian, hold the key to the first Old Firm fixture of the season at Ibrox tomorrow.
These are changed days in No Mean City and there is such a cosmopolitan air about Scottish football that, aside from England and Norway, this match between Rangers and Celtic could have 20 other nationalities represented.
There will be Scots - although that can no longer be taken for granted. Then, among others, there will be players from Holland, Germany, Italy, Australia, Russia, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Denmark, France, Guinea, Bulgaria, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Slovakia and Belgium.
Yet, it is Chris Sutton and Tore Andre Flo who probably more than anyone can swing this game. The former endured a nightmare spell at Stamford Bridge before taking up residence at Celtic where his form has attracted the attention of England's manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.
The latter had a rather more productive time in London but was lured north by a huge salary after Rangers waved a £12 million sterling cheque in front of Chelsea. Ironically, despite the fine goals-per-game ratio, he has since become a neglected figure in international terms.
It is, however, their mutual former club where the comparisons begin and end.
Murdo MacLeod, the former Celtic midfield man and assistant manager when they last won the Premier League pre-Martin O'Neill, insisted: "The two are completely different front players.
"Sutton is strong, aggressive and absolutely excellent at holding the ball up and letting other players support. Flo, despite his height, likes the ball to feet, has a great touch and will take defenders on himself.
"They are both excellent at what they do and in an Old Firm fixture it will come down to who can handle the situation better."
Dundee United's defender Jim Lauchlan was perhaps mercifully spared Flo's hat-trick for Rangers last weekend because he was suspended but he has come up against both and has huge respect for them.
"Chris is a handful for any defender," he admitted. "He is strong and determined and you know it will be a very physical battle because you both want to compete.
"Tore is nothing like as physical yet just as dangerous. He is very quick, with great control and when he runs at you it can be difficult to handle. He can also appear to drift out of a game but if a defender believes that and loses concentration that's when he suffers."
Although Celtic go into this fixture apparently better prepared, their manager Martin O'Neill is quick to play down its broader significance, even admitting, "I would take defeat at Ibrox if you could guarantee we would go on and win the title."
The initial part of that observation is not in his plans, however, and as he looks at a full squad he is likely to find room for Stilian Petrov, who has been handed a new contract and promised another if he continues to progress.
Rangers will need a repeat of last weekend's form against Dundee United and no sign of their inept UEFA Cup efforts against Anzhi Makhachkala if they are to win and reduce the gap at the top of the Premier League to just one point. Manager Dick Advocaat said: "Playing Celtic is probably the easiest game for me as a manager because the players are up for it and the occasion brings out the best in them, although it is a fixture that can always go either way."
It will go the way of Rangers if the captain Barry Ferguson, who vowed to stay out of trouble following a red card in one of last season's meetings, has any say in the matter.
"We know how important this is and we realise we can't play any worse than we did in the UEFA Cup tie on Thursday night," he acknowledged. "We have the belief we can win."
