Rangers vs Celtic prediction: Daizen Maeda to star in champions’ Old Firm victory? | OneFootball

Rangers hosts Celtic in the final Old Firm derby of the season on Sunday, with the visitors looking to add to last week’s title celebrations by beating their oldest rivals once more this season.

Brendan Rodgers’s side are on course for a domestic treble this season – with the Scottish Cup final to come against Aberdeen this month – having been crowned champions last week with a win against Dundee United.

The Hoops have now equalled Rangers’ record of 55 Scottish league titles, and will be looking to rub salt in the wound at Ibrox on Sunday as they face a Rangers side who are still struggling under interim coach Barry Ferguson.

Having sacked Philippe Clement in February, the Gers exited the Europa League at the quarter-final stage to Athletic Bilbao, before recent draws to Aberdeen and St Mirren – combined with a loss to Hibs – meant that their arch rivals were able to wrap up the title with four matches to go.

And this recent form is reflected in the odds ahead of the game, with football betting sites pricing Rangers as high as 14/5 to grab a home win, compared to Celtic’s odds of 17/20.

Having won the league title last week, Celtic will be in jubilant mood as they come to face their old rivals, with their 17-point lead illustrating the gulf between the two sides this season.

And while Celtic will rightly be favourites with betting sites, form can often go out of the window in this sort of match, with Rangers having won the last two times these sides met – 3-2 in March and 3-0 in January.

Though five of the last 10 matches between them has ended with one team winning to nil, it is unlikely that this weekend’s game will be a tense and tight affair, with Rangers eager to remind their rivals what they’re capable of and Celtic hoping to rub salt into the wound.

And March’s thrilling 3-2 encounter at Celtic Park served as a reminder that sparks tend to fly in the Old Firm, with 34 goals across the last 10 matches suggesting that we’re in for an intriguing counter at Ibrox.

Nevertheless, with Celtic as such firm favourites and flying high after the league win, a wager on the Hoops to win and both teams to score could provide value at 9/4 with William Hill.

With 10 goals in his last 10 games, Celtic’s Daizen Maeda is the team’s man in form, and though the Japan international didn’t score as the Hoops secured the title last weekend, he’ll be desperate to improve his record against Rangers this weekend.

The 27-year-old only has five goals in 19 Old Firm matches, but his current goalscoring run means he’ll likely be Celtic’s main threat, potentially alongside Adam Idah.

Both Idah and Maeda are 6/5 to score anytime against Rangers, though we’re backing the Japan striker to continue his impressive goalscoring run.

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