Celtic to overtake bitter rivals in title race
The second Old Firm derby of the season sees Celtic host Glasgow Rangers on Wednesday night in the SPFL. Just two points separate the Scottish giants in the table, and a win for Ange Postecoglou's men in front of a huge partisan crowd would see them leapfrog their deadly rivals as the business end of the season approaches. Read our preview here:
Turning Japanese
The appointment of Postecoglou last summer has seen a recruitment drive in areas of the global transfer market rarely explored before. Most notably, in the J-League. Kyogo Furuhashi has already proven to be a big hit in Parkhead, and the striker might be fit to feature in his first domestic game of 2022. Reo Hatate is a driving force in midfield, and the highlight of his three appearances to date was the run and long-range finish against Hearts. Versatile forward Daizen Maeda (who scored on his debut for the Bhoys) won't be available, having only just come back from international duty for the Samurai Blue's vital World Cup qualifiers.
Enter the Dragon
Gio van Bronckhorst pulled off a huge coup on deadline day with the loan capture of Juventus' Aaron Ramsey. The 31 year old Welsh international hasn't been a first team regular for the Old Lady since arriving from Arsenal three seasons ago, but will be a vital cog in the machine for the title holders. Fellow loanee Amad Diallo netted the opener after just five minutes in the topsy-turvy 3-3 draw at Ross County, and will doubtlessly be a handful for Greg Taylor down the right flank.
Betting tip
The gap between the giants hasn't been this close on and off the pitch in over a decade. Both defences are normally quite tight, but the bulk of the quality lies in more attack-minded areas. Parimatch have odds of 4.40 for Celtic to win a tense affair with both teams scoring.
