It’s derby day week in Glasgow, with an ever-present buzz in the air telling you as much. Before we delve into the biggest game in Scotland, let’s take a more holistic view of the season so far for Brendan Rodgers’ men. With 34 games played, and 102 goals, Celtic are well in truly in gear to break some records.
Celtic Set to Break Record
The Records to Break
The greatest record of all lies with the quintuple champions that were Jock Stein’s side in 1966/67. In case you forgot, they became Champions of Europe. Over the course of the domestic season, they racked up an eye-watering 111 goals. Even more amazingly, they did this with four fewer games, as it was customary to play 34 games.
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With four games left, this current Celtic side will have to score nine goals to match this record. For a team that has scored exactly three strikes a game this season, they will likely succeed. The only possible disruptor would be Rodgers using this period to test out some squad players and youth prospects. If you take it from a goals-per-game perspective though, to beat the Lisbon Lions side, who scored 3.26 goals a game, Celtic would need to reach 124 goals. Truthfully, it’s not going to happen.
Rodgers’ last Celtic team managed 106 league goals in the Invincible season. The question becomes whether they can match that. With just one and a half goals per game needed in the final four ties, you would really fancy their chances.
Goals All Over
Just like the Invincible season of eight seasons ago, Rodgers’ side has seen such a high spread of goals. In all competitions, Daizen Maeda has scored 33, Nicolas Kuhn has 20 to his name, Adam Idah has 17, while Reo Hatate, Arne Engels and Callum McGregor have all netted ten times.
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Eight seasons earlier, Moussa Dembele scored 32 goals, Scott Sinclair hit the net 25 times, with Stuart Armstrong, Tom Rogic and Patrick Roberts all getting 17, 12 and 11 goals.
Ruthlessness
This Celtic team doesn’t know when to let off. Teams often take the foot off the peddle when they go two and three up, yet the Champions are the opposite. When they score, the floodgates open. Take a look at the last three games.
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An early goal against Kilmarnock saw them four-nil up after 24 minutes. They went on to win 5-1. At their Scottish Cup semi-final, it took till the 34th minute to break the deadlock with McGregor’s strike. By first-half stoppage time, they were four to the good. Against Dundee United last week, the Bhoys first goal came in the thirtieth minute. By minute 58, it was 5-0.
One Final Push
So does this team have one final push in them? You can’t imagine anything else. Sunday afternoon will be a tough game, Ibrox always is. The Hoops have won just two of their last nine in the Southside of Glasgow.
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After that, games against Hibernian, and Aberdeen will likely be expansive clashes, if the previous outings this season are anything to go by. Simply, there will be space to attack.
For the second consecutive season, trophy day will be the welcoming of St Mirren. Then, we will know for definite Celtic’s standing in their bid to break records, as they lift yet another league title.
