Celtic v Rangers

There has been some talk about this Old Firm game being “meaningless” as Celtic wrapped up the SPL  title weeks ago. But try telling that to the fans, as you can expect the usual excitement and tense atmosphere in Glasgow come Sunday lunchtime that is associated with every Old Firm clash.

True, survival for the administration-stricken Rangers is more important that league points, but victory over their fiercest old rivals would be a moment of light relief for Gers fans who have suffered more than most in recent months (Celtic 4/5, draw 13/5, Rangers 10/3 Match Betting).

Neil Lennon rested several star men for their clash with Motherwell last time out but, unsurprisingly, they are all back for the Old Firm clash. Georgios Samaras, Scott Brown, Kelvin Wilson and Glenn-Loovens return to first-team plans for Parkhead, while Adam Mathews and Beram Kayal are back from illness and injury respectively and could be included.

For Rangers, Kyle Lafferty is not considered after being handed a two-week club suspension while Kirk Broadfoot and Jamie Ness are available again after struggling with injuries.

When it comes to who can get the goals, Gary Hooper  (4/1 First Goalscorer) is the main man for Celtic with 18 league strikes this term and he is the leading man to break the deadlock at Parkhead. Rangers have relied on Sone Aluko (5/2 Anytime Goalscorer) since the exit of Nikica Jelavic but, despite his pace which is capable of causing huge problems, the former Aberdeen man is not as potent as his predecessor.

In three Old Firm games so far there has been 12 goals, so expect more of the same and all the traditional fireworks associated with one of the biggest derbies in world football, despite Rangers’ recent off-field woe (21/10 – 4 or more – Total Goals).

St Mirren v Hibernian

Neither of these teams are really going into this game with any run of form behind them. It’s only one win and three draws from the last six home matches for St Mirren, while Hibs’ away form boasts three wins and three losses from the last six (St Mirren 6/5, draw 9/4, Hibs 9/4).

The home side have a full squad to choose from and boss Danny Lennon admits he is looking for a continuation in the “entertaining style and attacking football” they have shown to be higher in the table than many expected.

Hibs are battling to ensure their SPL future and have received a boost with the news Garry O’Connor’s foot injury isn’t as bad as first feared and could feature. It is touch-and-go if Pat Fenlon will risk him, and he may opt for Eoin Doyle or Roy O’Donovan (Doyle 8/1 O’Donovan 9/1 First Goalscorer) instead.

The visitors managed a narrow win in the most recent encounter at Greenhill Road, but there was a 0-0 at Hibs last month, and this game looks very close yet again (15/2 0-0 Correct Score).

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Rangers were tipped as one of the favourites to go straight back down before the start of the season and their 4-0 drubbing at home to Bolton on the opening day did little to dispel the doubters (Rangers 11/4 Premier League Relegation).

But what a difference a month makes, with a successful takeover, a cash injection and some talented and experienced recruits to aid the quest to keep the club in England’s top division.

Two wins, a draw and one defeat have followed and the signings that boss Neil Warnock has made have been shrewd, with the pace and skill of Shaun Wright-Phillips and the grit and determination of the midfield workhorse Joey Barton.

Barton certainly comes with baggage but he looks up for the fight and appears to be enjoying his venture down south and he will play a massive part in the Hoops’ plans this term.

There appears to be a decent team spirit at Loftus Road, too, while any side that Warnock puts out will give its all and, with Barton in the ranks, they will not want for passion.

Whether they have the skill and guile to regularly open up opposition defences as the season progresses is open to question but DJ Campbell  has looked lively to date and remains a goal threat.

One thing that Rangers still have to do this season is score a goal at home as they have come up blank on two occasions and have yet to win a top-flight home game.

So, what better time to put that right than when an under-strength Villa side come calling.

The Villa Park outfit are still unbeaten in the Premier League but Alex McLeish’s side have won just one game and drawn all the others and they will be without both Darren Bent and Emile Heskey this weekend.

Gabriel Agbonlahor has started the season in decent form, however, with three strikes, netting half the Villans’ top-flight goals to date.

Rangers will need to counter his threat and, if they can keep the shackles on the England international hitman, they will have an excellent chance of taking all three points, with little goal threat coming from other areas of the park at present.

Jermaine Jenas could make his debut for the Midlanders after recovering from a thigh injury but he may have to settle for a place on the bench.

With two key members of the squad missing, McLeish might well be happy to settle for a point in west London but most things points to a QPR victory and it would be no surprise to see them break their home goalscoring duck and walk away with the spoils on Sunday evening.

Rangers have never lost at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League – although the sides have not met since the mid-1990s – but there seems every chance of that record remaining intact come Sunday evening.

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Hearts v Rangers

Rangers will be looking to jump ahead of Celtic at the top of the table, even if it is just for a few hours, when they travel to Tynecastle to take on a Hearts side, who are enjoying a great run. Walter Smith’s side have won three games on the bounce to ensure they sit only two points behind their Old Firm rivals having played two matches less.

The Gers will be without Kenny Miller, who has completed a move to Turkish champions Bursaspor, but even without their 21-goal striker you would expect Rangers to field a strong forward line.

Hearts are in a good run of form and have won nine of their last 10 SPL matches, and it is a run which should give Jim Jeffries and the Jambos reason to be confident.

Prediction: Rangers have not lost on the road all season in the league and that should continue with an away win priced at 5/6.

Celtic v Aberdeen

Celtic demolished Aberdeen 9-0 the last time these two teams met and Swedish star Freddie Ljundberg seems set to make his home debut in the game. That hammering back in November started the end of Mark McGhee’s time in charge but Craig Brown has steadied the ship since he arrived and they are now unbeaten in four games.

Neil Lennon will know his side cannot afford to slip-up and let Rangers get ahead of them in the title race and this is the first of three games between Celtic and Aberdeen to take place over the next 11 days.

Prediction: A win for Celtic at 2/9, but don’t expect another 9-0 at 125/1.

Inverness CT v Hamilton

Inverness continue to ride in the top half of the SPL but have a poor home record and that could give rock-bottom Hamilton some reason to feel confident of adding to their two wins so far this season.

However, the visitors cannot seem to stop conceding on the road so far this term and they face a side that were unlucky not to take points off Rangers in their last game. Terry Butcher has spoken this week of feeling like Inverness were “not wanted” in the SPL, but that could change if they keep on impressing this season.

Prediction: Inverness have only won 2 of 10 games in front of their home fans but Hamilton won’t stop them getting a result here at 4/5.

Kilmarnock v Dundee Utd

Kilmarnock have been struggling to find some form in recent games but are still holding onto their fourth-placed spot. Dundee United beat Motherwell in their last game and boast the dangerous David Goodwillie up front.

Prediction: Both sides are capable of winning, but a draw at 23/10 is a likely outcome.

Motherwell v Hibernian

Motherwell have signed Mike Grella and Steve Jones on loan until the end of the season and both players could make their debuts at Fir Park. Both of these teams are struggling, with Hibernian in particular under-performing this season. It is likely to be a tight match between the two but Motherwell should be buoyed by the fact Hibs are on a run of nine games without a win.

Prediction: Motherwell will edge it, priced at 10/11.

St Johnstone v St Mirren

Both teams are struggling for form and points and look destined for a long and painful relegation battle between now and the end of the season.

Prediction: All signs point to a bore draw at 5/2.

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However, the league leaders Rangers can extend their two point lead at the top of the table as they travel to the chilly Highlands to take on Inverness CT.

The Old Firm side already have a game in hand over their arch rivals Celtic and could leave the Hoops trailing by five points come the end of the weekend.

Kenny Miller has been untouchable in Scotland’s top flight, scoring 18 goals in 14 games and is at 9/2 to bag two or more goals on Saturday.

However, Inverness have been a tough prospect at home and are the surprise package of the SPL so far this season.

They boast the second highest goalscorer in the league with the one and only Adam Rooney hitting the back of the net 11 times this term.

With the chance of pulling away from their foes before Christmas it’s hard to see Rangers letting this one slip and they should come out on top at the Caledonian Stadium.

Aberdeen could have a new man at the helm when they travel to the capital to face Hearts.

Craig Brown looks set to join the Dons having left his post at Motherwell on Thursday.

Things can only get better for the club under the former Scotland boss as they currently sit joint bottom on points with Hamilton.

Aberdeen have won two of their last 11 competitive games which have proven not be that competitive especially the 9-0 trouncing by Celtic at the start of November.

Hearts on the other hand had a great month as they beat city rivals Hibernian, Celtic, St Johnstone and Hamilton to have a perfect record for November.

The Edinburgh club should be comfortable at home even if the Dons have the Brown factor (Hearts 6/5 to be winning at half-time and full-time).

In the last of Saturday’s games, if the weather has not taken its toll, it’s the battle of the saints as St Mirren take on St Johnstone.

This is an important clash in the bottom half of the SPL table as only two points separate these sides as they sit just above the relegation zone.

St Mirren have struggled for goals in recent weeks as they have only managed to put the ball in the back of the net once in their last three outings.

St Johnstone came out on top in the last encounter between these two sides 2-1 but like their opponents have been on a poor run of form having only picked up one win in their last seven games.

This game is too close to call with neither side wanting to lose this one and neither team confident in front of goal (8/13 for there to be less than 2.5 goals in the game), this has got draw written all over it.

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Nikica Jelavic

Jelavic will not feature in the clash due to being cup-tied but believes that United being favourites for the tie means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Rangers were overwhelming favourites to beat Hamilton in the SPL on Saturday but needed a 90th minute goal from substitute Kenny Miller to secure a 2-1 win. Jelavic believes that Hamilton’s battling qualities can be used as inspiration to Rangers when they become the underdogs at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Speaking about the fixture, Jelavic stated: “I think we have a chance.

“Manchester United is a big team but, in our game [against Hamilton], they were 100% and we were a little down and thought it would be easy. Maybe this could also happen in the Champions League.

“You never know. Maybe if we are 100%, we can take some points there.”

Meanwhile, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that he is still haunted by last season’s defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, which he claimed his side “ballsed up”.

Arjen Robben’s late volley saw the German side progress on away goals but had United got through, Ferguson believes they would have reached the final. He went on to admit that he would have fancied his side’s chances against Inter Milan.

Speaking to the People, he said: “Last year still plays on my mind, that Bayern Munich game. Christ, I’m still not sleeping after that! I keep thinking about that game and keep getting angry about the way we lost it.

“We were in complete control until Rafael was sent off and then they came back into it. That result hurt and still does.”

Ferguson will be hoping to use this hurt to spur his side on this season. However, he is not taking Rangers lightly, accepting that Walter Smith will present a side which will be organised and difficult to beat. The United boss has stressed that he respects the Scottish side and certainly will not be taking them for granted.

Wayne Rooney (2/1 to be first goalscorer) is set to return to the fold after missing the trip to Everton due to the “terrible abuse” he usually gets at his former club. This would have been heightened following revelations about his private life although assistant boss Mike Phelan also suggested the England striker “wasn’t ready to play”.

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