Sunday 22nd January 2016 Kickoff: 1500hrs Albion Rovers v Celtic Football – Scotland – Scottish Cup Sunday sees Celtic return to action for the first time since their Hogmanay win at Ibrox over Rangers. The top division in Scotland have benefited from a three week winter break since then meaning it will be the first time Brendan Rodgers men have played a game this calendar year. Their opponents, Albion Rovers, have not had that same luxury but they would have been counting down until this game as they hope to be the first team to defeat Celtic in a domestic competition this season…could it happen?
Albion Rovers play in Scotland’s third tier and are currently in seventh place of League One. The dynamics of these 10 team leagues mean that Rovers still have a chance of finishing in the promotion and relegation playoffs come the end of the season. But for this weekend, however, their sole focus is facing the current champions of Scotland in what should be a showpiece occasion for the minnows. Darren Young is the club’s player manager and has been for over two years now, which is something of an achievement itself. Young – who was twice a runner up in this competition with Dunfemilne – may still be registered as a player for Rovers but he has not played a game this season which is understandable considering he’s now approaching 40. His team have not done bad without him, though, reaching this stage of the Scottish Cup following an excellent 2-1 win at home to Queen of the South in the last round. Of course, such is the current financial climate in Scottish football (particularly for teams such as Rovers) the income that this tie will bring both from ticket sales and television coverage will ensure they can continue on a sound footing for years to come. The players, however, will simply relish the chance to test themselves against the best in Scotland.
It will have been a long three weeks for supporters of Celtic who were eagerly anticipating each and every game due to the success their team was having in the first half of the campaign. However, having played their first competitive game of the season in early July and finishing the year with nine games in the month of December, the winter break would have been a welcome relief for Rodgers and his team who spent much of it in the warmer temperatures of Dubai. The hard work begins in earnest today again as Celtic look to cement their place at the top of table but perhaps more crucially begin their quest for the Scottish Cup and a possible treble having already claimed the League Cup in late November. With a 19 point lead, plus a game in hand, Celtic can afford to prioritise this Scottish Cup but they will also be hoping to continue their unbeaten domestic run for as long as possible. As alluded to earlier, Rodgers has not tasted defeat yet in Scotland and the last domestic defeat they suffered was against St Johnstone in May last year when Ronny Deila’s reign was coming to an end. Celtic will also be planning ahead for next season and the ever-early Champions League qualification. That makes this January window that bit more important as Rodgers attempts to take a settled squad into those games.
Albion Rovers v Celtic Betting Tips
This is an obvious mismatch no matter which way you size it up and it’s one of those encounters you will only find in competitions such as the Scottish Cup. Albion Rovers do have some recent experience of this stage and beyond, however, after getting to the fifth round in 2014 and giving Rangers a serious shock at Ibrox only to lose out in the replay. This will be an even more difficult test, of course, but they will be out to do themselves justice and see if they can pull off arguably the biggest shock in the competition’s history.
This is a game Celtic are expected to win and win comfortably, but the fact they have not played in three weeks and will be playing on yet another artificial surface could have some sort of impact on how they perform. It is likely Rodgers will take very few chances with his team selection, though, as he looks to get his side going in 2017. We’re not going to fare all that well backing a Celtic win a 1/12 so we’re forced to look elsewhere to try and get some value. The Hoops have been free scoring under Rodgers and playing against lower level opposition should see that continue but Rovers will look to defend deep and invite Celtic on to them and it is likely to result in Celtic winning plenty of corners. Stan James have set their line at 10 so 11 or over would see the bet a winner and 10 exactly means our stake would be returned – that’s the best selection for this game.
Over 10 corners 5/6 @ Stan James
