Aberdeen v Celtic
Wednesday 26th December 1400hrs
Football – Scotland – Premiership
Pick: Under 2.5 goals
Bookmaker: Bet Victor
Odds: 5/6 (odds taken 20.10 GMT, Monday 24 December)
Scottish Premiership Betting at Bet Victor
The winter break may be fast approaching in Scotland but the Premiership is just heating it up it seems. Celtic are top by a single point over Rangers with Aberdeen a further couple back in third. The Pittodrie club can go level on points with the Hoops should they win on Boxing Day whilst their opponents will be hoping for all three points to ensure they are top heading into the Glasgow derby in on Saturday – it’s all set up to be a cracker. Continue reading for a match preview of Aberdeen v Celtic, with a selected best betting tip.
Aberdeen Preview
There’s no doubt it was a slow beginning to the season for Aberdeen and they would have been disappointed to find themselves in the bottom six for the first couple of months. It makes it all the more impressive to see them in their current position of third and the chance to go level with Celtic with a win on Wednesday. Saturday’s 2-0 success at home to Hearts was the Dons’ 10th win in 13 games across all competitions. It shouldn’t be a surprise considering Aberdeen have finished second for the past four seasons but they’ve went about their business more quietly than others and are now reaping their rewards. A criticism that is often levelled at Derek McInnes’ team is that they often lose the games that matter but they’ve beaten Rangers twice already this season, including a well earned 1-0 win at Ibrox earlier this month. The next challenge is to start taking points from Celtic on a regular basis. They did beat Brendan Rodgers men on the final day of last season, but the Hoops had already secured the title and it’s now coming on three years since they last got a result against them at home.
Celtic Preview
This Christmas is slightly different for Celtic under Brendan Rodgers in that they are very much in the midst of a battle for the title. In the previous two seasons Celtic have been well clear of the other clubs in Scotland and the title pretty much a formality. The one-point lead over Rangers illustrates how much closer it’s been for the champions this time around and they have two extremely difficult games to see out 2018, beginning with their trip north to face an inform Aberdeen team. it’s been Celtic’s away form that has hindered them so far and they come into Wednesday’s match with only three wins on the road in the league all season long. Defeats away to Hearts, Kilmarnock and Hibs have highlighted the vulnerability of Celtic on the road and it will be something that has to improve if they are to clinch a successive eighth title as they cannot rely solely on their home form with the challengers lining up in behind. Rodgers is likely to be able to call upon a host of players returning from injury for this one and will also have Tom Rogic available before the influential midfielder joins up with Australia for the Asian Cup.
Aberdeen v Celtic Betting Advice
These sides have clashed twice already this season – once in the league at Celtic Park and the other in the final of the League Cup at Hampden. Celtic were victorious on both occasions, winning 1-0. The two games have been very competitive but Celtic’s class has told both times and Aberdeen will be looking to home advantage as being the factor which turns things in their favour on Wednesday. McInnes will have taken a lot of confidence from seeing Celtic struggle away from home a number of times already but they have to find a system and approach to do that themselves. There’s no doubting Aberdeen can organise themselves well but it’s at the other end they need to demonstrate the quality and adventure that can see them get a result. For Celtic, they simply have to be more aggressive on the road and find a way to win games that may be different to how they do things when playing at home and having the big, wide spaces of Celtic Park to teat teams apart.
There’s no doubting the importance of this game for both teams in the battle for top spot heading into the winter break. Celtic have the small matter of a trip to Ibrox to come on Saturday but they need a result in this one. It’s going to be another competitive battle between two teams who know each other very well. Five of the last six meetings have ended with or fewer goals and I think that’s the most likely outcome on Wednesday.
