Celtic are looking to defend their Scottish League Cup crown at Hampden Park this weekend. There will be more riding on the game than just silverware though. Standing in front of them will be the Rangers. And it goes without saying that there is an added and unique pressure that comes with every Glasgow Derby.
Both teams have been in tremendous form after the World Cup break. One cannot help but admit that the Rangers have improved a lot since they have brought in Michael Beale as manager, replacing Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
On the other hand, Celtic have been close to perfect in domestic competitions this season till now, losing and drawing one game each. They will hope to continue that run when they take to the Hampden Park pitch this weekend.
Some of Fashion Sakala’s comments leading up to the match has raised some eyebrows though, and created a bit of controversy, as he did not even mention Celtic by name. As reported by Football Scotland, the Rangers player said:
"“Obviously I know how important the game is when you play against the other mob. It’s all about the badge and I don’t even think about my performance, the most important thing is getting the win for the fans and the club and the good performance from the players.”"
Rangers star makes controversial claim about Celtic ahead of League Cup final
It is safe to say that the rivalry between the two sides have intensified a bit more, since the arrival of Beale at Ibrox. The Rangers manager himself has been no stranger to controversy, whether it be his ‘lucky man’ claim about Ange Postecoglou or his recent comments about Chris Sutton.
Things are certainly getting heated as we head towards the much anticipated Scottish League Cup final. And it feels like there is a lot riding on this game than just the trophy.
One will only hope that the Bhoys will cancel out all the noise, as they prepare for the big game and turn up with their A-game at Hampden Park this weekend. If they are at their best, one would have to consider the Hoops as the favourites.