The past decade of Celtic’s dominance in Scottish football is a testament to the club’s incredible desire for success. Following the culmination of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, European football leagues are gearing up for a return to action. In Scotland, Celtic will begin the second half of the campaign nine points clear of city rivals Rangers. As such, oddschecker, which compares football odds and offers, has made the Bhoys the favourites for the title once again this term.

Should they live up to the billing, they would be winning a second consecutive Premiership crown, but even that would be a far cry from the success they experienced between 2016 and 2020. During that four-year period, Celtic won every domestic trophy available to them for four consecutive seasons. The period of dominance was unheard of in Scottish football and may never be repeated ever again.

The first campaign 

The 2016/17 season was a memorable one for the club. Rangers had just returned to the Premiership after climbing back through the leagues over the past five years. They were expected to give their eternal rivals a run for their money, however, Celtic secured their 47th league title at a canter with a massive 30-point lead over Aberdeen.

They also won the League Cup and Scottish Cup that same year. In both competitions, they defeated the third-placed Gers in the semifinal and second-place Aberdeen in the final, confirming their complete and utter dominance over the domestic game.

The following season brought even more success, as Celtic went on to win the league title, however their points deficit to the chasing pack was considerably reduced. Aberdeen finished as runners-up in the league once again, with the Dons finishing nine points adrift of the Parkhead club, with Rangers a further three points behind.

They also won the League Cup and Scottish Cup once again, with the latter competition witnessing a 4-0 trouncing of Rangers at the semifinal stage. On the European scene, Celtic reached the Champions League group stage but were relegated to the Europa League after finishing behind Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Third and fourth installments 

In 2018/19, Celtic completed a previously unheard-of treble treble when they romped to the League, League Cup, and Scottish Cup once again. In the League, Aberdeen’s challenge faded away and Rangers emerged as the second-best team in the country. They finished some nine points behind the eventual champions.

The Hoops’ domestic cup successes were the first in three years to not feature a victory over Rangers. In the League Cup, they defeated Aberdeen in the final, while they defeated Motherwell in the final of the Scottish Cup.

The 2019/20 season was another successful one for Celtic, as they went on to win their ninth consecutive league title. They once again wrapped up the domestic competitions to complete an unprecedented quadruple treble. In the league, their biggest rivals once again finished as runners-up, some 13 points adrift. Rangers were also beaten finalists in the League Cup, while Hearts lost out on penalties in the final of the Scottish Cup. On the European scene, they reached the last 16 of the Europa League, where they were eliminated by Copenhagen.

Throughout this decade of dominance, Celtic have boasted some of the best players in the league. Striker Odsonne Edouard was their top scorer in both the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons. The Frenchman netted 22 times in the former campaign, as well as smashing in a further 29 during the latter. The former Paris Saint-Germain man headed south of the border last August, signing for English side Crystal Palace.

Midfielders James Forrest and Scott Brown were also key figures in Celtic’s success. Captain Brown has since moved on, however, Forrest remains a crucial man at Celtic Park.

In the 2020/21 campaign, Rangers stopped Celtic from winning ten consecutive Scottish Premiership crowns under Steven Gerrard after the pandemic brought a halt to football as we know it. Last term, however, the Parkhead outfit have reclaimed their status as Scotland’s top dogs, and they look well set to defend their crown again this term.

 

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