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61 not out! Will Brendan Rodgers’ invincibles ever lose a game in Scotland?

Celtic extend their unbeaten domestic run under Brendan Rodgers to a staggering 61 matches on Wednesday

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Sitting at the top of the Scottish Premiership on 26 points, Celtic continued their unbeaten domestic run under Brendan Rodgers to a staggering 61 matches on Wednesday, beating Aberdeen 3-0 at Pittodrie. The win follows a perfect weekend for Celts fans as they swept aside Hibernian in the League Cup, setting up a final with Motherwell who defeated Rangers 2-0. Many predicted that this Semi Final could be the game that Brendan Rodgers’ amazing unbeaten record would finally come to an end, but once again Scottish opposition were swept aside by the Northern Irishman’s team. Last season Celtic won the treble, for the third time in their history, and went the whole season undefeated domestically; they are thus far on course to repeat this feat. Despite this, there are a few reasons for other SPFL clubs to be hopeful.

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The two occasions Celtic have failed to win this season were both after Champions League away games. They drew at home, 1-1 with St Johnstone and 2-2 with Hibs, after European away games against Astana and Anderlecht respectively. Celtic host Bundesliga Champions Bayern Munich on Halloween at Park Head before traveling to McDiarmid Park to play St Johnstone. The Saints will be optimistic they can go one better then the point they picked up in the East End of Glasgow in August. Also, Celtic’s 3-0 win in Brussels against Anderlecht all but secures Europa League football after the turn of the year and these extra games could help to level the playing field later in the campaign.

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Perhaps the key reason that should install belief into future opponents is Celtic’s defensive frailties. The Hoops’ first choice Centre Back, Jozo Šimunović, has been suffering from an Achilles tendon problem all year which has meant players such as Mikael Lustig and Nir Bitton have had to cover at the back. This means that despite their array of attacking options Celtic always look susceptible to conceding a goal. It’s just a matter of whether their opponents can take the chances when they come.

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Overall, it is impossible to predict when this incredible run will come to an end, especially with the virtually assured Europa League adventure that the 1967 European Champions may be embarking upon. However, one thing is for certain, that if last season’s treble winners are to be crowned invincible again it would be the most extraordinary achievement.

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How many games can Celtic stretch this incredible run to? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

 

 

Featured image source:  geograph.org.uk

License:  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Attribution:  Lynn M Reid