It’s Derby Day In Glasgow.

Celtic fans have had an element of fear ahead of today’s team selection, there is the team fans think should start today and the team they think Neil Lennon will start with. At the end of the day, the management sees things in training fans don’t but that been said Neil Lennon has some big calls to make today.

Jullien was the main concern going into today’s game after the defender smashed his knee on the post clearing a ball off the line during the week. Celtic have been much improved with Griffiths and Edouard upfront but will the manager opt for a safer formation and only play one up front?

With the teams just announced this is how Celtic will line up this afternoon at Ibrox:

With that team, Neil Lennon can hardly be accused of playing favorites as most people expected to see Scott Brown make a start today. The manager has also shown some bravery by sticking with two up front. This is what fans wanted, no fear and an attacking Celtic lineup.

It’s hard to think a nothing Europe League game has catapulted Soro and Turnbull into the starting 11 but that’s football for you.

From Opta Stats
The side playing away from home has won each of the last three derbies in the Scottish Premiership (2x Rangers wins, 1x Celtic); the home team had won five such meetings in a row before this.

Rangers have won both of their last two league meetings with Celtic, last winning three in a row from March 2007 to March 2008 (a run of four under Walter Smith).

Celtic have won five of their last seven away league games against Rangers (L2); before this, they had won just four of their previous 16 such visits (D2 L10).

This will be the first time Rangers and Celtic will play their first league match of a calendar year against each other for exactly 10 years (2nd Jan 2011) – which was Neil Lennon’s first league derby at Ibrox as Celtic manager. He led his side to a 2-0 win courtesy of a Georgios Samaras brace, which remains the last time a Celtic player scored more than once in an away league match against Rangers.

Rangers have won each of their last 13 league games, scoring 39 goals while conceding only three in this spell. It’s their best top-flight winning run since another 13-game streak between December 2007 and March 2008 under Walter Smith.

Celtic are unbeaten in 19 away league games (W15 D4) since a 0-2 defeat at Livingston in October 2019.

Celtic are one of just two sides Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos has appeared against in the Scottish Premiership without scoring (also Dundee United in two apps), facing them 11 times in the competition and attempting 22 shots (eight on target) without finding the net.

Since his first league appearance against Rangers in March 2018, Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard has both scored (six) and been directly involved in (eight – six goals, two assists) more goals than any other player in Scottish Premiership Old Firm derby matches.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.