Celtic vs Aberdeen Prediction: Unbeaten duo collide in Glasgow

The top two teams in the Scottish Premiership table, both with perfect records, meet at Celtic Park on Saturday afternoon, with the game kicking off at 15:00. Fans won’t be able to watch on TV as it has been reported the Parkhead club turned down money from the TV company and removed themselves from a contract over broadcast rights to avoid a kick-off time change. 

However, those in attendance should be in for a treat as the two early title challengers go head-to-head. Below you will find my Celtic vs Aberdeen prediction, featuring team news and betting tips. 

Team News

Brendan Rodgers will hope his international stars return to Glasgow fully fit after a gruelling international break. Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has a quick turnaround after playing on Tuesday night in Switzerland, but he should be fine to start this crucial top of the table clash, even at the age of 37. 

Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn has had a superb start to the season and is tipped for a Germany call-up, although it hasn’t happened yet, while Adam Idah will be fresh but frustrated having been an unused substitute for the Republic of Ireland as they lost 2-0 to Greece. Japanese duo Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate have had a mix of gametime for their nation in the Far East, and they will need to be assessed later in the week after their long-haul flight.

For Aberdeen, nine of their players were handed international call-ups across the youth and first-teams, with Topi Keskinen getting through a lot of work in Finland’s 3-1 defeat to England. Slobodan Rubezic didn’t get on the pitch in Montenegro’s 1-0 defeat to Wales, but at least he only had a short trip back up to Scotland from there. Scotland trio Nicky Devlin, Jack MacKenzie and Kevin Nisbet had limited minutes between them, so will be fresh to return after a taste of international football. 

Celtic vs Aberdeen Odds

Celtic are the obvious favourites heading into this game, priced at 2/9  while Aberdeen can be backed at the healthy price of 8/1. A draw is available at 9/2, over 2.5 goals is 2/5 and BTTS is 8/11. Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi is favourite to open the scoring at 7/2.

BTTS @ 8/11

These two teams haven’t put a foot wrong in the league this season. Seven wins from seven, and as they say in boxing “somebody’s 0 has got to go!” Well, unless it's a draw I guess. Anyway, both Rodgers and Jimmy Thelin like to set their teams up to attack and I would expect nothing different here. 

Celtic have scored in every single match they have played since a 2-0 defeat at Hearts on March 3, while Aberdeen have the third-highest BTTS percentage in the Scottish Premiership (71 per cent). Five of their seven league matches have ended with both teams on the scoresheet, while when the two met in the Scottish Cup semi-finals last term, it ended 3-3! We should get goals in this one.  

Aberdeen to win @ 8/1

I know that Celtic are the strongest team in Scotland and they will probably go on to win the title this season barring any major shocks, but Aberdeen offer such great value heading into this game that I simply cannot ignore. Seven wins from seven, results that have led Celtic legend Chris Sutton to admit the Dons could disrupt the Old Firm duo this season.

A win at Celtic Park would send shockewaves around the division and I realise that it is unlikely on paper. Celtic have scored 22 and conceded just one league goal so far this term. However, Celtic’s stars have had more international commitments and spent more energy over the last two weeks and I think Aberdeen can take advantage. With Leighton Clarkson supplying Kevin Nisbet, I think they can nick all three points and take top spot at massive odds. 

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