Sunday 2nd December 1500hrs Celtic v Aberdeen Football – Scotland – Scottish League Cup The first silverware of the Scottish season is up for grabs on Sunday and it’s a familiar game that lies in store. The match at Hampden will be a repeat of the 2016 final in the same competition and also the Scottish Cup version later that season. It was Celtic who were victorious on both occasions and they are big favourites to do so again on this weekend. The Dons have already upset the odds a couple of times in this year’s run to the final and will be looking to do so again. Continue reading for a match preview of the 2018 Scottish League Cup Final as Celtic face Aberdeen, with a selected best betting tip.
Celtic are looking to do something they’ve managed just once in their entire history and that’s win their third consecutive League Cup. Their greatest ever manager Jock Stein overseen an amazing five successive titles in the 60’s and Brendan Rodgers will be attempting to get his hands on the trophy once again. The Hoops have reached the showpiece occasion with little fuss having knocked out Partick Thistle, St Johnstone and latterly Hearts in the semi final at Murrayfield last month. They’re also in their best form of the season and come into the match following a crucial 1-0 win away to Rosenborg in the Europa League which puts them to within a point of qualifying for the next stage. Rodgers will have some big decisions to make in terms of his team selection with a number of players now returning from injury. He may be sweating on the fitness of Milkael Lustig and James Forrest who went off in midweek because of injury and he’ll be hoping to have both fit as they are undoubted first choices and Forrest has been Celtic’s most consistent players all season. He also has an excellent record in League Cup finals with three goals in three different finals.
Aberdeen won the League Cup back in 2014 and that brought to end an 18 year wait without a trophy. Since then they have reached those two cup finals where Celtic have gotten the better of them and manager Derek McInnes has to find a way to try and make it third time lucky. Their passage to this stage has been much more dramatic, certainly following their 4-0 win at home to St Mirren. Since then they have really had to battle their way to the final, firstly at Easter Road against Hibs where they required penalties, and then in the semi-final at Hampden against another of their rivals, Rangers. It was a back to the walls performance but they took one of the few chances that came their way and the reward was a return visit to the national stadium. The win over Rangers seemed to spark them into form in what has been a stuttering run since then. The Dons went on to win their next three in the league but that run came to a crashing halt last weekend as they lost 3-0 to Motherwell. It’s hardly the ideal preparation for the team but McInnes has already issued a rallying call for his players to come back with a response for Sunday’s game.
The teams have met once in the league already this season and although it went the way of Celtic, it was a very close encounter ending 1-0. There’s no doubt, however, that Celtic have a hold over Aberdeen – especially when it comes to the games that matter the most. The Pittodrie club did manager a win at Celtic Park on the last day of last season but the Hoops had long since clinched the title and had the Scottish Cup final a week late.
Celtic v Aberdeen Betting Tip
No team has been able to beat Celtic in a domestic cup competition since Brendan Rodgers arrival in the summer of 2016. It’s an incredible feat and it’s meant that the Bhoys have won all six competitions they have entered in Scotland during that time and will be going for a magnificent seventh. McInnes and his Aberdeen team have tried a couple of times and came up short. Indeed, they were very well beaten in the 2016 League Cup final. There are a couple of reasons to be optimistic, however, with their opponents coming off the back of a hard European away fixture and the cost of that with relation to injuries of key players.
I think it’s safe to assume that Aberdeen will need to try and unsettle Celtic from their normal rhythm and McInnes will have been working up his game plan on how best to do that all week. They have the advantage of eight days rest and it could prove vital, but if we have learned anything from this Celtic team under Rodgers it’s that they know how to get the job done in cup finals. It’s been four straight and they can make that five on Sunday. They cruised to the League Cup against this opponent two seasons ago and can do similar again by leading early and powering to the trophy.
Selection: Celtic HT/FT 6/5 @ Boylesports
