In this article…
Rangers v Celtic
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Date: Saturday 2nd September
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Competition: Scottish Premiership
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Kick off: 12:00
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Watch live: Sky Sports Main Event
The first Old Firm derby of the season promises to be a vital one. Rangers and Celtic meetings are always important affairs, but the loser of this encounter will be plunged firmly into crisis after a worrying start to the season for both clubs.
Rangers crashed out of the Champions League in midweek, crumbling in an embarrassing manner against PSV. Mick Beale has signed nine new players to the Ibrox side’s ranks this summer amid a dramatic overhaul and the early results have not been impressive.
Equally, Celtic are also in a transition phase due to the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as manager. It was a controversial appointment, and the pressure has been on him to hit the ground running. Although he won his first two matches, a League Cup exit to Kilmarnock and a 0-0 home draw with a poor St Johnstone side followed. There is a huge amount riding on this fixture, but these Rangers v Celtic stats are designed to cut through the noise and give an insight into what to expect in what promises to be a thrilling match.
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Rangers v Celtic Cheat Sheet
This Rangers v Celtic Cheat Sheet is designed to give users a greater understanding of what to expect from individual players and the teams as a whole ahead of this huge fixture. It breaks down key statistics for both sides, such as how much possession they typically have, how many shots they get away, and how many cards they and their opponents pick up.
More than this, it goes into depth on individual players. Rangers’ stats, for example, show that they have a surprisingly low card count at under one per game. This is useful to know for your Rangers v Celtic bet builder given it is a match where a high yellow card count is expected. In short, it breaks down all the essential Rangers v Celtic stats, using numbers that refer to league games from this season only.
In this next section, we will be looking into some of the key elements and sharing some of our betting insight. If you’re thinking of having a Rangers v Celtic bet builder then why not join Sky Bet? They are currently offering £30 in free bets to new customers, and claiming it couldn’t be simpler:
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Rangers stats: A big test for Beale’s men
Rangers’ stats this season show an overwhelming degree of dominance in their Scottish Premiership matches to date. Michael Beale’s side have had nearly 70% of possession and five more shots on target than their opponents per game on average.
This is not a usual league fixture for them, though. Indeed, this is likelier to be more similar to their midweek encounter against PSV than last weekend’s match against Ross County. As such, Rangers will certainly not have as great a share of the ball and it is unlikely that they will have as many efforts on target. The Rangers v Celtic stats will look atypical to a Gers game against any other Scottish Premiership opposition.
Furthermore, these numbers are also skewed early in these season by two factors. Firstly, there are players still finding their way into gear, particularly the new signings. This could apply particularly to Danilo, who arrived on the eve of the season beginning, and Rabbi Matondo, who is coming into form. Secondly, Beale has been juggling his squad with European matches in mind. There is little doubt that he will field what he feels is his best team for this game, so look for the likes of Matondo and Kemar Roofe to get more minutes than they have managed so far this season.
Celtic stats: Rodgers’ Bhoys going into the unknown
While Rangers have been stretched this season by a team superior to them, Celtic have not had to face such a challenge yet. This game will, therefore, be something of a step into the unknown for the Parkhead club, whose three Premiership games to date have seen them face Ross County, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock.
Like their hosts, the Celtic stats show that they dominate matches – typically more than Rangers do. They have been even better at retaining the ball, getting shots on target and preventing shots on their own goal.
Meanwhile, Celtic have been similar to Rangers in that they have struggled to find a settled squad, with injury problems hindering Rodgers’ selection, particularly in defence.
🎯 Rangers offensive stats: Matondo on the charge
Rabbi Matondo will be the Rangers player to watch in terms of the foul count in this game. The Wales international posts 6.67 fouls won per game, and while that is inflated due to a small sample size, his willingness to commit opponents means that this is likely to be a high figure once again in the Rangers stats column.
Another player to watch in this regard is Todd Cantwell, who simply loves the occasion of an Old Firm match and is set to be at the heart of everything. He boasts two fouls won per game so far this season and should be expected to be around that figure again here, especially if he is up against a combative figure like Matt O’Riley. The Rangers v Celtic stats may show a high foul count come full time.
Kemar Roofe was overlooked for Rangers’ European squad, but the Englishman may just be their best finisher at present and could well be drafted back into the starting XI for this game. He is coming back from a serious injury and could well start in this encounter. After playing just 65 minutes this season he may only last an hour or so. Similarly, Abdallah Sima did not start in midweek but has been one of Rangers’ liveliest players this season, registering 2.54 shots on target. Rabbi Matondo is another to keep an eye out for after his bright performance in Eindhoven. Rangers’ stats show Joel Cifuentes has a high shot on target count, but he is likely to be busy with defensive duties and is less likely to make an offensive impact.
🎯 Celtic offensive stats: Abada one to watch
Celtic will have watched how Rangers were dismantled down the wings by PSV in midweek. It’s typically the Hoops’ full backs that do a good deal of damage in these areas, with Anthony Ralston winning more fouls than any other player on average. Alistair Johnston’s return from injury likely means he will be consigned to the bench, though.
So who could do the damage, then? Daizen Maeda and Yang Hyun-jun started last weekend against St Johnstone but did not catch fire, so perhaps Liel Abada, fresh from signing a new contract, could be the player asked to carry the charge. Rodgers’ problem has been a lack of form from players in these areas, which has led to inconsistency in team selection so far. As such, it is difficult to make a solid prediction for a Rangers v Celtic bet builder in this area.
Sead Haksabanovic can be discounted – he joined Stoke City on deadline day – leaving box-to-box midfielder Matt O’Riley as their leading player in terms of shots on target, the Celtic stats show. This is a state of affairs no one would have predicted after three matches, with Kyogo Furuhashi Celtic’s outstanding forward. The Japanese is nowhere to be seen on the top five but does have five career goals in nine matches against Rangers.
🛑 Rangers defensive stats: Players returning with point to prove?
Rangers post ten fouls conceded on average per match this season which is a high figure driven by a physical side, particularly through the centre of their attack. It is little surprise to see Kemar Roofe and Cyriel Dessers second and third respectively in the number of fouls given up. These tend to be low-key free kicks given away from tussles, so yellow cards may not follow for these players.
In a pure defensive sense, Nicolas Raskin is likely to have the highest tackle count of Rangers’ starters given Kieran Dowell is carrying a knee problem. In what should be a balanced encounter, the Belgian midfielder is again likely to be busy.
Equally, the Rangers v Celtic Cheat Sheet cannot demonstrate that the defence is likely to be more heavily employed than usual, so look for Leon Balogun and Borna Barisic to be around their season average of tackles per game, which sit at 2.0 and 1.67 respectively.
🛑 Celtic defensive stats: High foul count on the cards?
The name screaming out in this area of the field is right back Alistair Johnston, who will have a huge responsibility in a depleted defence. The Canadian is a combative player and that is reflected in his high foul count so far this season. On top of that, he is just coming back from injury, which could see his minutes restricted.
Nat Phillips has arrived on loan from Liverpool and it would be no surprise to see him thrust into the action given Celtic’s woeful lack of central defensive options. With no minutes as yet, he does not appear on the Rangers v Celtic Cheat Sheet.
In terms of tackles per match, James Forrest sits on five, but that figure is skewed by a lack of playing time and it is also unlikely he will start this match.
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