Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon believes that a Hoops victory at Ibrox would all but end the title race, with Ange Postecoglou’s side taking a 12-point advantage.
And the 51-year-old also cited Callum McGregor as a ‘pivotal’ figure in the midfielder for the Bhoys as they aim to make it 19 wins out of 20 in the Scottish Premiership this season.
As we prepare to enter 2023, Celtic’s first fixture in the new year is set to be a big one, taking on Glasgow rivals Rangers next Monday.
Ange Postecoglou and his team go into this one full of confidence, having picked up four wins from four since the return following the winter break.
On Wednesday evening, the Bhoys rounded off 2022 ins style, defeating Hibernian 4-0 at Easter Road, which has notoriously been a difficult venue in the past.
Although the Hoops hold a healthy advantage at the top of the league, the Celtic boss won’t be letting that come into his sides thinking ahead of the trip to Ibrox [Clyde 1].
With the second derby of the season now on the horizon, the next few days are bound to be full of talk surrounding the game.
Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon is one of the first pundits to provide his thoughts for Monday’s fixture, and he believes a Celtic victory could all but end the title race.
The ex-Hoops captain also highlighted current skipper Callum McGregor as one of the key players if Celtic are wanting to come away victorious, insisting that the midfield battle will be pivotal.
He said [Football Odds]: “You have to say the title race is over if Celtic win the game. 12 points is a lot, and if Celtic win the momentum will all be with them. Celtic have not been great in terms of the games earlier on, however, when building up to these games, the Old Firm will always be at the back of everybody’s mind.
“They’ll go into the game with confidence, and if they win, there’s not stopping them. If Rangers win though, the gap will only be six points, and they will believe that the title race is still on.
“The midfield battle will always be vital in a derby of that nature. Celtic have had the better of it since Ange has come in, and I think it is because they’ve looked better in midfield during the majority of the games.
“The battle between McGregor and Lundstram will be pivotal for both teams. Rangers will have to find a way to stop Celtic’s flow and fluidity. They will have to try and break up Celtic’s rhythm.
“The game is all on Rangers, though, as they cannot afford to lose this game. If they lose, the title race is over, as they will never make up a twelve-point gap at this stage of the season. Celtic’s mentality in these games has also been excellent, though, and their style of football could cause Rangers problems.”
Celtic could put another massive dent in the title race, but that isn’t part of Ange Postecoglou’s focus.
Although Lennon is correct in his assessment of the title race if Celtic are to come away victorious on Monday, which will give the Bhoys a substantial lead at the top, it certainly isn’t something that is going to come into the thinking of Ange Postecoglou.
The Celtic boss has stated on several occasions how much emphasis he puts on focusing on one game at a time, and that will be no different before or after next week’s game.
There is no doubting how big an occasion the Glasgow derby is, and Postecoglou would be the first to admit that.
But he and his players will be putting their focus into this like it is any other league game as we look to continue our almost flawless start to the campaign.
There is still plenty of games to go in the second half of the season, starting with the trip to the other side of Glasgow on Monday afternoon.
Postecoglou and his players go into this game full of confidence, with the same mindset remaining in place as is the case for every domestic fixture.
In other news, Wait set to be over as Celtic boss prepares to welcome duo into the fray.
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