It seems extremely odd to be talking about a cup final in December but here we are. The final of the Betfred (Scottish League) Cup takes place this Sunday and unsurprisingly, the two teams in action are Rangers and Celtic.
The two SPL titans will lock horns at Hampden Park in what promises to be an absolute cracker of a fixture. Neil Lennon’s Bhoys currently lead the way in the Scottish top-flight, though Steven Gerrard’s Rangers are just two points behind them in second-place after their 2-2 draw with Aberdeen on Wednesday night.
This season it looks as though the title-race will go right down to the wire, with the winner of this clash gaining a substantial mental advantage over their fierce rivals heading into the new year. As with any Old Firm derby, there should be plenty of talking points this Sunday, with lots of goals, cards and corners heavily forecasted in Glasgow.
Ahead of the hugely anticipated fixture, we’ve paired up three sets of players set to feature this weekend in a H2H-style betting preview, just for you.
Clean pants – Allan McGregor v Fraser Forster
The first battle here comes in the form of goalkeeper’s Allan McGregor and Fraser Forster. Both shot-stoppers are enjoying tremendous campaigns this time out, with McGregor keeping a total of 15 clean sheets for the Gers in all competitions – two of which have come in the Betfred Cup.
Forster, on the other hand, has kept a total of 8 clean sheets so far (all comps). The Southampton loanee has found a new lease of life at Parkhead after a disappointing spell on the south coast and will be desperate to clinch some early silverware with his temporary employers this term.
Forster is priced up at 9/4 to keep a clean sheet this weekend with bet365, while McGregor is priced at odds of 3/1 not to concede a single goal (also with bet365).
In the book – James Tavernier v Scott Brown
Rangers v Celtic is one of the fiercest derbies in world football so you would expect plenty of cards this Sunday, especially considering it is also a cup final. During the previous six meetings between these two Scottish heavyweights, there has been a total of 26 yellow cards and 2 red’s brandished, so we will be thoroughly disappointed if there’s not a lot more shown at Hampden Park this weekend.
Celtic midfielder Scott Brown is the most booked player in SPL history – picking up an astonishing 94 yellow’s during his career – while Rangers full-back James Tavernier has seen yellow twice this term and is Rangers’ captain, so should head into this match-up with an extra bit of pride and passion.
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton branded the 28-year-old a ‘serial loser’ earlier this week – referencing his lack of silverware at Ibrox – which will no doubt be playing on his mind in the build-up to this prestigious fixture; it all contributes to tempers potentially flaring on Sunday afternoon.
Scott Brown is just a horrible footballer who absolutely despises Rangers Football Club, so it is highly likely that we’ll see the Scot’s name written in the book after a disgracefully late challenge on some poor soul who finds himself on the receiving end of it all. Betfair have Brown at 5/6 to be booked this weekend, while Tavernier is priced up at odds of 23/10.
On the scoresheet – Alfredo Morelos v Odsonne Edouard
Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos is one of the highest goalscorers in Europe as things stand. The Colombian marksman has already notched 25 goals in all competitions this season, with two those goals coming in the Betfred Cup.
Surprisingly, Morelos is yet to score against Celtic in 7 appearances against the Bhoys, but with his current form considered, we’re tipping him to break that record at Hampden Park. The 23-year-old is priced at 6/4 to score anytime with BetVictor, while he is 11/2 to open the scoring with bet365. Not bad, that.
For Celtic, their biggest threat is undoubtedly Odsonne Edouard. The 21-year-old has scored 13 goals in all competitions this season and has a terrific record against Rangers, scoring 5 goals in 5 appearances against the Hoops’ closest neighbours. He’s priced at odds of 7/4 to notch anytime this weekend and best priced at 5/1 to score first with UNIBET.
