Celtic vs Aberdeen Predictions

• Seven of Celtic’s last nine games in all competitions have featured at least three goals
• Six of Aberdeen’s last seven matches in all competitions have featured at least three goals
• The last two matches between these clubs have finished 2-2 and 3-3 (2-2 in 90 mins)

Epic clash beckons between evenly-matched top two

Scotland’s top two, Celtic and Aberdeen, face off in what could be another epic Hampden Park semi-final on Saturday, this time in the Scottish League Cup.

Celtic won the subsequent penalty shootout when last April’s Scottish Challenge Cup semi-final clash between the two finished 3-3 after 120 minutes as the Dons demonstrated the standards that have seen them emerge as the Hoops’ greatest domestic rivals this term.

That performance was under the caretaker charge of Peter Leven and was perhaps a precursor of what has been achieved under new boss Jimmy Thelin, who has taken Aberdeen joint-top of the Premiership with an unbeaten run of 16 games in all competitions.

Hoops’ Hampden record gives them a slight edge

Aberdeen refused to be beaten by Celtic last spring and again when they met in the Premiership last month when they fought back from two goals down at Parkhead last month.

The Dons were only denied a winner by VAR in that game, although it was the correct call, and they still needed to repel two late Hoops efforts to secure their point. Those games indicate Celtic are no value at all to win at very short odds-on, but their incredible recent record at Hampden Park suggests they will find a way to progress.

Brendan Rodgers has never tasted defeat at Scotland’s national stadium as Parkhead supremo and, but for a 2-1 Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers under Ange Postecoglu in 2022, Celtic have not lost there since 2016.  It’s better to back goals in this fixture than the outright result with odds of close to 1/2 available around three or more in the clash. That has landed in seven of Celtic’s last nine games in all competitions and six of Aberdeen’s last seven matches too.