'Celtic to win at canter or can Rangers upset Previous Agency odds?'

Scottish Premiership: Celtic v Rangers

Venue: Celtic Park Date: Sunday, 1 September Time: 12:30 BST

Protection: Comply with reside on the BBC Sport web site & app and on BBC Sounds; watch highlights on Sportscene

If the bookmakers are calling it proper, Phillipe Clement could as effectively ship out the youngsters to play at Celtic Park on Sunday as a result of his predominant males don’t stand an opportunity.

The percentages-layers – 27 completely different corporations – are usually not simply going with Celtic to win the primary Previous Agency conflict of the season, they’re going with Celtic to win with loads to spare.

Each final one in every of them have Brendan Rodgers’ staff as odds-on favourites – no nice shock given they’ve just one loss in 12 and that was a meaningless factor at Ibrox after they had been already champions.

Clement’s ‘no-hopers’ can be found at 4-1, an enormous worth in a two-horse race. Clearly, the professionals suppose that one of many horses is lame.

Such is the boldness behind a Celtic victory that the bookmakers make Mikey Johnston extra more likely to rating than any Rangers participant. That is Mikey Johnston who now performs for West Brom.

They are saying the bookies are by no means mistaken, We could have unearthed a flaw in that concept.

‘Celtic dominance has made derby samey’

For a fixture that has a popularity for wild unpredictability, the Previous Agency tussle has turn into samey. Callum McGregor dominates, Kyogo Furushashi scores, Rangers struggle again, however Celtic win.

Real surprises don’t occur a lot any extra. Anticipate it to be shut once more, however count on the identical winner as earlier than, too.

Thrice final season Celtic went right into a 2-0 lead and seemed to all of the world that they had been going to make it extra, just for Rangers to rally and make a sport of it.

Celtic lord it over this fixture however their final seven wins over Rangers have been by a single objective.

No matter you say about Rangers’ lack of ability to win these matches, they’ve proven a behavior of staying in them, even when right down to 10 males, as they had been in two derbies final season.

So, odds of 4-1 appear beneficiant, albeit there might be no rush to lump on.

Rodgers is the king of all he surveys in terms of days like this. With a observe report of just one defeat in 18, he’s received the most effective stats of any of his predecessors.

And his staff is motoring proper now. Three league video games, three wins, 9 objectives scored, none conceded.

Rodgers spoke on Friday about Celtic’s work-rate and the energy of their urgent sport and the way these items are effectively forward of the place they had been this time final season. It’s exhausting to argue with that.

In three league video games, there’s solely been three photographs on course on their objective. St Mirren’s anticipated objective stat towards them was 0.14, Hibs’ 0.1 and Kilmarnock’s 0.2.

Within the early video games of this season, Celtic look an entire lot harder to hassle than they did for big elements of final season.

Matt O’Riley has gone, after all. In a brief area of time, O’Riley grew to become a totem of this contest and his affect might be missed.

Arne Engels has are available as a report signing from Augsburg. Stylish, versatile and 20-years-old, the Belgian appears to be like like being a wonderful addition.

A midfield three of Engels, McGregor and Reo Hatate will take maintain quickly sufficient, however will Rodgers go that manner from the beginning on Sunday? Unlikely.

Paulo Bernardo, McGregor and Hatate with Engels and Luke McCowan in reserve continues to be a reasonably thrilling panorama.

Rodgers has extra choices now. New signing Auston Trusty performed in 32 Premier League video games for Sheffield United final season.

A left-sided centre-back, or left-back, he’s going to be within the staff quickly, if not on Sunday.

Liam Scales has executed a stellar job for Celtic, however Trusty hasn’t been signed to heat the bench and Alex Valle has not been introduced in on mortgage from Barcelona to kick his heels. He’s going to place the warmth on Greg Taylor.

Adam Idah is a terrific different to Kyogo. McCowan, among the finest midfielders within the nation, is a bonus signing.

That is the place Rodgers has wished to be for a yr and Celtic followers might be sated in the mean time. The membership has spent cash. Some ambition has been proven.

‘Can Clement discover spark after combating fires?’

Rangers have additionally been working like demons.

Eleven gamers have are available with 11 going out. Or 13 should you depend the ending of mortgage offers from final season. Or 20 should you embody gamers they themselves have loaned out.

You may excuse Clement if his head was spinning.

The Rangers supervisor is underneath strain. A niche of two factors might turn into 5 if issues go mistaken at Celtic Park. A five-point deficit after 4 league video games isn’t the place any Ibrox boss desires to be.

Clement hasn’t gained any of his 4 Previous Agency video games. Ethical victories don’t depend. A 3-3 at house is the most effective he’s executed.

He’s been combating fires for months. The Ibrox debacle, the pre-season losses, the exit of established gamers, the pantomime round Todd Cantwell and Ianis Hagi, and the problem of amending his staff on a good finances.

He wants a giant win and also you marvel if he’ll tempted to toss stuff completely different at Celtic. Specifically new signing Nedim Bajrami, freshly arrived from Sassuolo.

Albania completed the Euros with only one level, however their performances had been eye-catching. They misplaced 2-1 to Italy, drew 2-2 with Croatia and misplaced 1-0 to Spain.

Bajrami began every of them. In opposition to Italy, he scored the quickest objective (23 seconds) within the historical past of the Euros. He can play within the 10 function that Clement likes a lot and he can play wider on the left. An fascinating buyer.

Vaclav Cerny, Bajrami and Jefte working behind Cyriel Dessers may ask some questions on Sunday.

For Rangers, will probably be a query of being ruthless whereas making an attempt to disrupt McGregor’s authority, The Celtic captain is often the man with the best passing accuracy, essentially the most touches and by far the best significance.

For all of the newcomers who may seem on Sunday, it’s the relative old-timer who could effectively name the photographs. Rinse and repeat, as they are saying.