Scottish Premiership

Celtic FC vs Rangers FC
Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland
Sunday, March 12th 8:00AM EST FS1

Happy Tuesday everybody!  We have a blockbuster footballing week ahead of us. Jam packed with a fixture list that is sure to delight.  The Champions League is center stage today and Wednesday on FS1, the Europa League is taking place Thursday on FS1, and there will be domestic league and/or cup action Friday through Sunday on various networks.  With that being said, I had a laundry list of Match of the Week contenders, but only one made the grade this week.  The Old Firm Derby,  Celtic vs Rangers this Sunday morning!  I’ll prep you for the rivalry by providing a brief synopsis of the UK’s most intense derby, touch upon Celtic’s “Invincible” form this domestic season, reveal my keys to the game, and finally make my match prediction.

The Old Firm Derby

Celtic and the Rangers are Scotland’s two most trophy-laden clubs.  They possess clashing core ideals, are separated by a mere 6 miles of each other, and have been sharing the spotlight of the country’s largest city, Glasgow for 130 years.  The Hoops and the Light Blues have been so dominant in Scotland’s top flight that they’ve combined to win an eye-popping 101 Scottish Premiership Titles, 69 Scottish Cups, and 43 Scottish League Cups!  Couple that success with the fact that Celtic is a club founded by Brother Walfrid, an Irish-Catholic who moved to Scotland in 1870.  He taught at various Catholic institutions, including St. Mary’s School, Sacred Heart, and even founded St. Joseph’s College in Dumfries.  Celtic FC meanwhile, was originally formed by Brother Walfrid as a way of raising funds for his charity, The Poor Children’s Dinner Table.  Thus, the club has a strong, deep-rooted connection with the Catholic Church and the Irish community.

Conversely, the Rangers who were founded 15 years before Celtic, have drawn a protestant fanbase from its inception until now.  The religious beliefs and ideologies of the United Kingdom run in the veins of the Teddy Bears, therefore an instant and inherit clash of core values amongst the two clubs, and their supporters, became the root cause of the bitter hatred that exists with the Old Firm Derby.  Such extreme disdain has led to countless brawls taking place inside and out of the respective parks, culminating in brutal injuries and sometimes even death.  This is why, above all else, above the prestigious club pedigrees and the short proximity of one another, it’s the religious and political differences that have manifested itself into the UK’s most intense rivalry.  

The Bhoys “Invincible” Scottish Season

In recent years, while the Rangers have been in a down turn in club form as they lumbered to four consecutive Scottish second division seasons before earning promotion at the end of the 2015-16 campaign, Celtic has simply seized total control of the Premiership.  The Hoops have won five consecutive league titles and will soon clinch its sixth this year.  Through 27 matchdays, the Bhoys are sitting atop the league with a whopping 27 points cushion on second place Aberdeen, and a jaw-dropping 33 points advantage over third place Rangers!  Also, even more impressive is the fact that Celtic has yet to lose a match within the league!  Yup, they have a record of 26 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses!  Simply incredible!  And with 11 fixtures left, the Hoops are in sight of going unbeaten for the season, a mark that has last been done within the UK by Arsenal’s “Invincibles” squad in 2003-04.  That team, granted the Gunners were competing against tougher competition game in game out, produced 26 wins and 12 draws.  Celtic however, already have 26 wins with a chance for 37!  What an astounding thought that is.  But whatever the win total, the big question is, will the Hoops go the distance. Will they go unbeaten, and become “Invincibles”?

Keys to the Match

It’s no question why Celtic has dominated the Premiership once again this season as they possess three of the best attacking players in the league with Scott Sinclair, Leigh Griffiths and of course Moussa Dembele!  Griffiths led the Premiership last season in goals as he reached the back of the net 31 times in 34 appearances.  This year however, he’s scored just 8 times, which ranks him eighth in the league. He,a slo, assisted 4 times in limited action as he’d been sidelined due to injury.  As for Dembele, he’s been utterly sensational this season with Celtic.  A one time Paris Saint Germain youth academy prodigy, Moussa Dembele has produced 17 goals, which ranks him first in the league, and 5 assists this term.  Lastly, Scott Sinclair has been scintillating on the pitch as well, as he’s netted 15 times, which is good for second in the league, and he has assisted 6 times.

On the flip side, Rangers, while sitting third in the table, have produced 36 fewer goals than Celtic, and have allowed in 16 more than their eternal rivals.  The Light Blues goal differential is just plus 5, which is minute compared to Celtic’s plus 57.  Thus, statistically Rangers don’t feature any earth shattering offensive or defensive players.  But one thing they do possess is grit, and a lot of it.  Rangers play tough, physical football, and many games are close. They seem to churn in results more times, than not due to their hardworking never-say-die attitude. And that mindset and effort will need to be on full display come Old Firm Derby day, which let’s face it, it always is against the Catholics.

LSB Prediction

Last time these two squared off it was the Hoops that came out victorious with a 2-1 win at Rangers.  The match was physical and both sides had chances to take all three points.  The difference though was that Celtic had stars on their side, Dembele and Sinclar,  to lift the team up and drag them to glory.  Meanwhile the Rangers do not.  They only have their grit to lead the way.  Therefore, I foresee a similar ending this go a-round.  The Bhoys will be at home and the stars will shine once more as Brendan Rodgers famed three lighting up the Glasgow night sky!  3-1 Celtic FC