Incredible Celtic remain strong favourites against Falkirk in the forthcoming Scottish League Cup quarterfinal
Free-flowing Celtic recorded a stunning 5-1 Champions League victory against Slovan Bratislava before playing Falkirk in the League Cup quarterfinal. They have preserved an all-win streak throughout competitions, and despite a strong start in the second division, the Bairns will face a difficult challenge on Sunday afternoon.
Falkirk currently leads the league standings, having won all of their Scottish Championship games. They also defeated Hearts 2-0 in the previous round, but the challenge will be the most difficult this Saturday as the Hoops want to complete a domestic ‘treble’ under Brendan Rodgers.
Celtic’s defense is expected to be a 4-3-3 formation against Falkirk.
Despite signing Viljami Sinisalo and retaining Scott Bain, veteran Kasper Schmeichel should remain the Celtics’ ‘number one’. He has emerged as a suitable replacement for Joe Hart, who retired at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Celtic have a hectic schedule in the coming weeks, including a tough Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion. Rodgers should take advantage of his team’s depth and make a few defensive adjustments. Anthony Ralston merits a start after coming on as a substitute for Alistair Johnston; also, Auston Trusty might make his complete debut in deep defence, replacing fellow countryman Cameron Carter-Vickers. The USMNT center-back might play with Liam Scales, who has secured a first-team spot ahead of Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh. If Greg Taylor is rested, Álex Valle, on loan from Barcelona, remains a viable possibility on the left side.
Midfielder Skipper Callum McGregor excels as a deep-lying playmaker. His midfield abilities should help Celtic maintain their dominance in the middle of the park. The Scot would play from the back, leaving the ‘number 8s’ to make down-the-middle runs and provide creative spark in and around the attacking third. Luke McCowan may be able to gain a starting spot after two good cameo appearances. Paulo Bernardo may return to the center of the pitch in place of Arne Engels and Reo Hatate, the favored pairing.
Celtic have a strong attack, with James Forrest, Adam Idah, and Luis Palma protecting Nicolas Kuhn, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Daizen Maeda on the frontline. Forrest’s versatility and expertise may be put to good use down the left side, where Daizen Maeda is always present. Kuhn should maintain his position on the right, although the management may give Furuhashi a break in favor of Idah.
James McAvoy joins Celtic staff as Hollywood star supports Hoops before 5-1 win at Parkhead.
Glasgow-born actor James, who has appeared in movies such as Split, The Chronicles of Narnia, and IT, chose his side while administering Celtic’s social media on Wednesday
James McAvoy joined Celtic FC before Brendan Rodgers’ side defeated Slovan Bratislava 5-1.
The two sides faced off in a Champions League match at Parkhead on Wednesday night (September 18), and the Hollywood star was cheering for the Hoops to win – and they surely did.
Glasgow-born actor James, who has been in major films such as Split, The Chronicles of Narnia, and IT, chose his team and was seen operating Celtic’s social media before the game began.
In a video uploaded online, the 45-year-old movie star is seen tweeting on the team’s X, formerly Twitter, account.
Cheering on Celtic, he exclaims “mon the Hoops” while making a fist sign and smiling broadly.
Fans took to the comments section to commend the actor.
A single person commented: “I love this guy, possibly the best actors Scotland has ever produced and he’s one of us.”
A different reader said: “Brilliant actor, I’m always amazed by the way his masters accents.”
A third commented, “Absolutely brilliant in Split.”
We previously reported that James, who is back on home territory, was described as “a very nice guy” by fans with whom he posed for a photo. His arrival in the city coincides with the premiere of his latest film, Speak No Evil, last week.
In a video posted online, the 45-year-old actor is seen tweeting on the team’s X, formerly Twitter, account.
Cheering on Celtic, he screams “mon the Hoops” while making a fist and smiling broadly.
Fans flocked to the comments section to praise the actor.
One person remarked, “I love this guy, possibly the best actors Scotland has ever produced, and he’s one of us.”
A different reader commented, “Brilliant actor, I’m always amazed by the way his masters accents.”
Celtic are representing Scottish football in the Champions League this season, and they did so admirably by defeating Slovakian giants Slovan Bratislava 5-1 on Wednesday night
The overwhelming victory at Parkhead started with Liam Scales’ powerful header from Arne Engels’ corner, giving the reigning Scottish Premiership champions a half-time lead.
Rangers icon Ally McCoist provided commentary for TNT Sports’ coverage of Manchester City vs. Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium.
But it didn’t stop his colleague for the evening, Peter Schmeichel, father of Celtic goalie Kasper, from reminding the Rangers hero of the Glasgow result.
“I was genuinely pleased for the Glasgow team,” McCoist said with a chuckle when questioned about Celtic’s 1-0 lead at halftime.
“It looked offside from here, definitely,” he remarked sheepishly about Scales’ goal.
‘Madness’ – Pundit tears into ‘Crazy’ Rangers man over what he said after the loss to Celtic.
Andy Halliday has lambasted Rangers boss Philippe Clement for comments he made during the Gers’ defeat to Celtic at Parkhead
The Light Blues suffered defeat in the season’s first Old Firm rivalry on Sunday (1 September), when Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops won 3-0, leaving the Gers trailing in the Premiership title race.
Although Open Goal analyst Halliday believes the players let their manager down on the pitch, he says the Belgian’s decision to bring up the earlier win over Ross County after the game was “crazy”.
Speaking on the Open Goal YouTube channel (3 September, 28:43), he said: “What I think is insane is that he brought up the Ross County outcome after the game.
Will Rangers sack Philippe Clement following their Old Firm loss to Celtic at Parkhead?
While large wins over Ross County may get fans out of their seats on the day, those are not the performances on which you will be evaluated as Rangers manager. Supporters want you to win those games consistently.
Comments like these will only put the pressure on the Belgian from fans and commentators in the coming weeks. Something has to change quickly for him to gain the supporters’ support and demonstrate that he is the man to bring a title back to Ibrox.
In other Rangers news, Chris Sutton has delivered a new Clement sack verdict and informed the Gers that one call has “massively backfired”
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