Celtic vs Hibernian
2nd November 1730hrs
Football – Scotland– League Cup
Pick Celtic and Over 2.5 goals
Bookmaker Betway
Odds: 5/6 odds taken 2000 GMT, Friday 1 November)
It’s the semi-final stage of the Scottish League Cup and the first of those takes place on Saturday. Current holders Celtic are big favourites but Hibs have already taken points off them and will be to cause a shock.
Scottish League Cup Betting at Betway
Celtic vs Hibernian Live Stats & Betting Odds
Celtic Preview – Can Celtic continue their dominance in Scotland and reach their fourth successive League Cup final?
It was three League Cups in a row and four in five years when Celtic defeated Aberdeen in last season’s final. That trophy proved to be the last won in Brendan Rodgers’ reign and it’s the only one which Neil Lennon has never attained in either of his spells at Celtic. Lennon will be looking to lead his players to the final early in December by getting past his old team – who have already proven to be stubborn opponents in the league this season. Celtic head into the game on the back of some really impressive performances and results since returning from the international break. A 2-1 over Lazio in the Europa League kept the Hoops at the top of their Europa League group whilst wins against Aberdeen and St Mirren ensured they maintain their position at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Celtic’s progress to the semi-final stage has not been without its drama. Dunfermilne took Lennon’s men to extra-time in a tie that came within minutes of going to penalties. Having survived that, Celtic had no such worries in the quarter-finals – easily seeing off Partick Thistle and setting this clash up with a team they defeated 4-2 at the same stage of the 2017 competition.
Hibernian Preview – Will Hibs end a frustrating recent run and be the first team to defeat Celtic in a cup competition in over three years?
The only consolation for Hibs and their supporters at the moment is that they are just above Edinburgh rivals Hearts. Another week has passed and it’s yet more frustration for the Easter Road club. A pair of 2-2 draws in the league have been achieved in very different ways but both are games which Hibs should be looking to win. Ross County were the fifth team in a row to come back from goals down against Hibs and take points from them. It was a role reversal in midweek as Livingston went into a 2-0 lead only for a last minute Martin Boyle goal rescue a point for Paul Heckingbottom’s team. Arguments could be made for what’s worse but neither is good enough.
Heckingbottom is under pressure and only needs to look across the city to see how quickly change can come around. A win over Celtic would certainly give him some breathing space. Like their opponents, it’s not been a straightforward passage to the last four for Hibs. They negotiated their group campaign rather underwhelmingly before needing extra time to see off Greenock Morton. It was even more challenging next time out as they eventually seen off Kilmarnock on penalties in the quarter-finals. The run has certainly made them battled hardened coming into a tie where they are very much the underdogs.
Key-Facts – Celtic vs Hibernian
- Celtic have won the last three League Cups and have not lost a domestic cup game since April 2016
- Hibs have drawn their last six games including a stalemate in the previous round of this competition before winning the tie on penalties
- These two teams met at the same stage of the competition back in 2017 when Celtic were 4-2 winners
Celtic vs Hibernian Betting Advice
As alluded to above, these teams have already met this season and it was a share of the spoils with the league game ending 1-1 at the end of September. Hibs are one of only two teams to take points off Celtic this season so they will take some confidence from that despite their recent struggles. They now have to go a step further, however, and become the first team to defeat Celtic in a domestic cup competition since April 2016. It’s been complete dominance for the Hoops and they will hope to continue that at Hampden tomorrow.
The winners of this game will face Rangers or Hearts in next month’s final. Anything other than a Celtic win would be a huge surprise but the odds are prohibitive on that. Instead, back them to win and for thre to be over 2.5 goals with two teams very capable going forward.
