Former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has given his thoughts ahead of the Scottish League Cup Final showdown between Celtic and Rangers at Hampden Park this Sunday.
In an interview with Gambling Zone, Strachan named Brendan Rodgers’ in-form Celtic side as favourites, but warned that the unique conditions at Hampden could play into Rangers’ hands.
Strachan, who has extensive experience of Hampden Park, through his time at Celtic and the national team, noted how the venue’s layout and unpredictable weather conditions can impact gameplay:
“It’s always a concern, no matter who you play. I’ve played in cup finals myself. You’re always thinking in the back of your mind, we can lose this. We can lose this for whatever reason, because strange things happen in cup ties. We’ve seen it happen before. Strange things, they really are.
“Conditions can make a difference. You’ve seen Aberdeen try to play Celtic on Wednesday. Conditions were horrendous. For all your plans on how you try and play football, the conditions are horrendous.
“Celtic Park is so enclosed that hardly any wind gets in, but Hampden does a different thing altogether. It’s put back, there’s wind swirling about all over the place. There’s all kinds of things that can happen.
“Celtic must be favourites because they’re playing really well. But from the Rangers’ point of view, I think if you’d asked them both a month ago, ‘Na, I’m not really looking forward to it,’ but I think they are looking forward now.”
Celtic have been in dominant form, extending their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership and showing resilience and quality in their recent matches.
Rangers have dropped needless points and scraped wins this season, while Celtic, for the most part, have put in some starring performances.
This final carries significant weight for both clubs. Celtic are looking to continue their domestic dominance under Brendan Rodgers, while Rangers are desperate to retain the only trophy that Philippe Clement has won at Ibrox.
Both sides are currently tied on 118 major trophies each, adding an extra layer of significance to Sunday’s encounter. The opportunity to pull ahead in the historical honours list will undoubtedly fuel both sets of players and fans.
