Fixtures 1st and 2nd December

[pete 2,499]

Saturday, 1 December 2007

--------------------------------------------Time --------TV

Hearts v Celtic -----------------------------12:30--------***

Dundee United v Inverness CT---------------15:00

Motherwell v Gretna -----------------------15:00

Rangers v Kilmarnock-----------------------15:00

St Mirren v Falkirk---------------------------15:00

Sunday, 2 December 2007

---------------------------------------------Time---------TV

Aberdeen v Hibernian----------------------- 14:00---------***

 

After a European programme midweek we return to SPL action on Saturday.

 

Celtic will be full of confidence after their last minute win against Shaktar, when they visit Tynecastle, to take on Hearts. They will be hoping to avenge the 2-0 defeat when the two teams met in the CIS cup. Celtic won the first SPL meeting 5-0 but I don’t see that happening at Tynecastle. Hearts are a difficult team to predict as to how they will play They are great one week and garbage the next. They have beaten both of the old firm this season but I think Celtic will do as always and grind out a win.

Celtic win.

 

Dundee Utd are at home to Inverness, which should see them taking three points. Inverness are a far improved team since their last meeting when Dundee won 3-0, but with home advantage craig Levein should be able to rally his troops to secure victory.

United win.

 

Motherwell and Gretna fight it out on Saturday for the home championships. Who will be lord of Fir park. Gretna surprised everyone last week to secure a point against Hearts but Motherwell are far more consistent team than Hearts and as the steel men are the true home team they will take all three points.

Motherwell win.

 

Rangers return from our disappointing defeat in Stuttgart, to get a visit from Kilmarnock to Ibrox. Although Killie always put up a good fight against us we always seem to come out on top. Even although we are carrying a few injuries I see no reason to think we will drop points against them. Maybe this is the poison chalice but as I said before, if we drop points in these games we do not deserve to win the league.

Rangers win.

 

St mirren against Falkirk is my tip for the draw this week. St Mirren will be trying to get the show on the road again after their undeserved defeat up at Inverness. St Mirren had the most of the play against caley thistle but it was Caley who scored with their first chance of the game, and then held out for the rest of it. Although Falkirk lost 3-1 to rangers last time out but they played some good football and were searching for the draw until Chris Boyd tied the game up for Rangers in the dying minutes. I can definitely see these two teams cancelling each other out, so i will go for the draw.

Draw.

 

Sunday 2 December

 

On Sunday Hibs go up to pittodrie to meet the Dons, who are on a three game losing run to, Hearts, Celtic and Atletico Madrid. Hibs have also had a poor November with two draws against Hearts and Dundee United and a struggled win against Gretna. Aberdeen will still have their European game in the legs and Jimmy Calderwood will have a tough job to boost their confidence. They have also lost two of their most experienced players in Jackie McNamara and Jamie Smith. I am going for the result I hope for, in this case and that is a draw as it suits Rangers best.

Draw.