Scottish Football / John Girvan / 27 December 2008 /

John Girvan looks ahead to a big weekend in the SPL where Celtic and Rangers will clash for the 381st time.

A Christmas cracker is on the cards this weekend when Glasgow rivals Rangers and Celtic meet for the 381st time in a crucial fixture that could go a long way to deciding the destiny of the league championship.

If you ever wonder what all the fuss is about where the Old Firm clash is concerned then consider the fact that, between them, they have won 159 league titles and Scottish Cups.No other local derby elsewhere on the planet features two sides with a three figure total of national league and cup wins between them. Put simply, no other city derby in world football features two sides with such a trophy winning tradition.

There is something special when they lock horns at this time of year also of course, and from a personal point of view it will make my Christmas and New Year break if Rangers are heading to Inverness on Jan 4th one point behind Celtic. It could augur well for the championship returning to Ibrox for the first time in four seasons also as Rangers would have all six points in the head-to-head count so far this season. Of the last 23 titles carved up by the Old Firm, there have only been three cases where one side has taken more points from the four league clashes and then not collected the league trophy.

There is currently a four point gap in favour of Celtic so this is a big opportunity for Rangers. Manager Walter Smith doesn't want to lag further behind Gordon Strachan's side and will set his side up for a win. That means Kris Boyd will start his first Old Firm game since last May. The goal king has been omitted from the last five Glasgow derbies but Smith cannot afford to be without him this time. Boyd has forged a prolific partnership with Kenny Miller and has bagged the side nine goals in the last six home games.

Some are quick to claim he only scores against the weaker sides in the SPL so this is what the striker has been waiting for - the chance to score in a game that really matters and prove there is no substitute for Kris Boyd.

Elsewhere Smith's team is picking itself at present, but for one or two small areas. Madjid Bougherra should return if he's fit and that may leave the boss 50/50 between Broadfoot and Whittaker for right back. I can't see Kyle Lafferty continuing on the left side of midfield but there are few alternatives. Personally I would love to see Nacho Novo there as he thrives in this encounter but it wouldn't be a complete shock if Charlie Adam returned as the youngster is often thrown into the big ones after weeks on the sidelines.

Celtic meanwhile showed great character to bounce back with a win at Falkirk last Sunday. Gordon Strachan is playing down the importance of this one saying it has little bearing on the title race, but that's rubbish. Victory at Ibrox will kick off a "four-in-a-row" bash in the Broomloan Road End and few elsewhere in the ground, myself included, will find it easy to be optimistic about the championship. Celtic, despite dominating the league in recent years, can only boast one win at Ibrox in the last three seasons. However, with that four point cushion, they will be happy to leave Govan with a point on Saturday.

Playing for such a result can always be dangerous of course so Strachan will have to get his tactics spot on. He also has extensive team selection issues however as one or two injuries are playing havoc with what is normally quite a settled Celtic side. Shaun Maloney is out and so is the suspended Aiden McGeady but the good news for away fans is that Stephen McManus, Paul Hartley and Barry Robson are back in contention.

Kouki Mizuno scored on his debut last week but his manager was spot-on when questioned on his further inclusion in the side saying: "the Old Firm is totally different".

So there are several doubts over who will feature for Celtic and how they will approach this one. For Rangers it's simple, they will be going out to win the game. The hosts are favourites for the victory at [2.36] in the Match Odds whilst Celtic are out at [3.3] with the draw trading at [3.45]. The importance for the home side makes Rangers -0 at [1.47] in the Asian Handicap a decent bet as it's hard to see Celtic going for the throat here. For me, Boyd is the key and anything around [2.5] on him in the To Score Market is outstanding value.

Elsewhere, I expect both Dundee United and Hibernian to get back to winning ways. Hibs went down narrowly at Rangers last week and from a neutral's point of view it was disappointing to see them sitting so deep at Ibrox. On the other hand, if it wasn't for Kris Boyd they may well have clung on for a point. They are certainly tightening up at the back and have conceded just five goals in their last six games on a run yielding three wins and two draws. This is quite impressive when you consider they have faced both halves of the Old Firm in this period.

The Edinburgh side are unbeaten in the last three at Easter Road and I expect this to be their third consecutive home win against an inconsistent Kilmarnock (four defeats from their last six). Killie are struggling in front of goal at present, averaging less than one goal per game, whilst Hibs have found the net 11 times in their last six outings. It's not an exact science of course but Hibs have a bit more quality than the four point advantage in the table suggests and I expect this to shine through on Saturday. Hibernian are available in the Match Odds at [1.87].

Dundee United have an excellent record at Tannadice this season and it will be a shock if Falkirk prevent them from recording their sixth home win of the campaign. United lost to Kilmarnock in August but since then they have held both Rangers and Celtic to draws and swept aside almost everything put in front of them with five wins from the six other matches. The recent stalemate with a resurgent Hamilton can be considered a blip therefore, and many will be on The Arabs to record a first home win in three outings this weekend.

The Bairns are one of four sides locked at the bottom of the table on 17 points and only goal difference keeps them in ninth place. John Hughes' side are on a poor run with only one win and one draw from their last six and, like Kilmarnock, are averaging less than a goal per game at present. More recently, it's three defeats on the bounce and with Craig Levein due a win, you would expect them to follow up hard fought draws with Rangers and at Hearts with three points against the likes of Falkirk, especially at Tannadice. Back Dundee United in the Match Odds at [1.74].

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