I assume we will start with the same team that beat them 2-1.a couple of weeks ago. Some speculation that Idah might get the nod but Kyogo has been really good against them and think we’ll save Idah for bench impact.
Their team is much more uncertain. I think Goldson and Souttar are still injured and Balogun seems doubtful. So Sterling might be centre back again. They have Yilmaz and Sima available again though. And in midfield they could restore Lundstram to the team.
Think that Celtic starting team is nailed on alright. Celtic are rolling into it with good momentum & all players available but hopefully there’ll be no overconfidence. The huns had a really messy end to the league season, going from 5 points up to losing by 8. They even lost the Clement Cup in the end too, they’ve a fair few injuries & there was a sense they’re not pulling in the same direction. The manager is being questioned by fans, he’s shipping different players in & out of the team on a whim & they look like morale has taken a hit.
I think the close scorelines in the derbies this Celtic haven’t reflected Celtic’s dominance. I’d say the floodgates would have opened the last day but for that missed O’Riley penalty & Celtic should have been 3 or 4 up at half time at Ibrox. Celtic have tended to score the first goal in most derbies lately &, if that happens again today, I could see them going on to win well. But I’m always wary of the law of averages & Rodgers’ record in these games surely can’t go on indefinitely. They’ll look to exploit that Scales/Taylor side of the defence with crosses & long diagonals as usual but hard not to be confident with Celtic’s first choice midfield now fit & firing - if McGregor, Hatate & O’Riley are anywhere near their best then Celtic should be winning this.
Much bigger game for Rangers and Clement . Finishing the season with a shitty league cup from a position of treble talk a few weeks ago while your rivals do the double . Clement will find it hard to come back from that . Think he’ll pack midfield and try keep it tight and nick a win. If Celtic do give them a hiding then Clement is already fcuked for next season .
I fear we will have one of those dry Hampden surfaces that slows our passing down and suits their direct style more.
But we should be up against a makeshift central defence partnership and an unsettled midfield. Our central three should be too good for them alright.
Yeah you just don’t want there to be any complacency at all. As much as the huns have wobbled lately, these games can take on a life of their own & they’ll get oxygen if a few things go their way early on & Celtic are collectively off the mark. Rodgers has been very good in getting the side tuned up for these games though. And even though Celtic have taken 10 points from 12 off them in the league, the way they repeatedly shoot their mouths off to the press & claim they’re the better side almost works as a guard against any Celtic complacency. They constantly need putting in their place & hopefully today will be the same.
Celtic starting team as expected.
No surprises on the bench either.
Think the huns are playing the same 4231 as usual under Clement but some personnel changes at centre back, left back & midfield since the derby two weeks ago. Balogun, Ridvan, Cantwell & Raskin in for Soutar, Barisic, Lawrence & Lundstram.
Interesting that with Goldson & Soutar out, they retain utility player Sterling in the wide right role. He has a height & strength advantage over Taylor so, as I said earlier, they’ll hit him aerially to try get a foothold in the Celtic half with Tavernier joining in from deeper. They’ll also look to target him on the back post - that’s how their goal at Celtic Park 2 weeks ago came.
I also think they’ll try to man mark the Celtic midfield again - Cantwell more advanced sitting on McGregor, Diomande on Hatate & Raskin on O’Riley. You might recall they left Scales with the ball in the last game & he was very nervy coming out with it & struggled to “break the lines” with that first pass.
On the other hand, when Celtic did get past that initial press & midfielders had dragged their man markers out of position, there was all sorts of space for Celtic to get at their defence & the 2 goals in the last 15 minutes before half time had been coming.
https://twitter.com/scotlandsky/status/1794354204783399256?s=46&t=0sQkcb7z4szDmx1-2Xlm0w
I agree with Faddy there
Lucky to get away with that
Shit 1st half
0-0. HT.
A bit disappointing from Celtic. Had a load of ball & easily progressed it upfield - the huns are pressing with Dessers & Cantwell but it’s quite uncoordinated behind them & they’re being bypassed easily with a few passes.
So plenty of play in their half & would have expected better combinations to cut them open. Different players missing passes & stuff breaking down & not enough efforts at goal. The Davies handball is a penalty earlier in the season as his hand is outside the arc of his body & Scales’ push/lean on Sterling was outside the box.
Huns, meanwhile, are breaking forward sporadically & mainly through sloppy Celtic play. They’ve forced some corners & are probably growing in belief as the half progressed. But a lot of the time they’re just clearing their lines & giving the ball back to Celtic. The onus is on Celtic to pick up the tempo & actually open them up with sharper passing & movement around the box.
Very hot conditions & sticky enough pitch & some players looked to be flagging even late in first half. Kyogo has scored 5 in 3 finals but it might be a game to spring Idah after 60-65 mins if it’s getting stretched. His pace & strength have troubled them across the last 2 derbies but let’s hope he’s composed & not rushed today.
All to play for really.
Those deliveries at set pieces are a serious weapon for Rangers.
I’ve just read that John Beaton is the VAR.
He thought the Hatate one at Tynecastle was a penalty. 
This is interesting
A VAR reprieve for Celtic
Idah for Kyogo after 60 minutes.
Hatate & Kyogo haven’t taken care of the ball at all.
Tavernier is like a fast bowler testing out Joe Hart with these corners.
Iiiiiidddddaaaaahhhhh
Incredible scenes!
