We’re not big statheads here at Full Scottish HQ. Unlike many scribes, we’re not afraid of numbers, exactly. We just don’t like to rely on them. We also think they can be overused, particularly in sports. However, there are a few interesting figures heading into Saturday’s Glasgow derby between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park. We’ve listed them below.
The Full Scottish
28: The number of points in the league—through nine wins and a draw—Rangers have secured since the arrival of Philippe Clement. That’s the most in the Premiership over that span.
3: The number of goals ’Gers have conceded during Clement’s time in the Ibrox hotseat. That’s the fewest in the league over the past 10 matches.
2: That’s how many wins the Ibrox side have recorded over their past 17 visits to Celtic Park. They’ve also earned four draws.
7: The number, out of the past eight, of Glasgow derbies in which Celtic have garnered a positive result (five wins and two draws).
5: The number of calendar years in which Rangers have won their final league match since a 0-0 draw at Celtic in 2017.
79%: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers’ win rate in Glasgow derbies over the course of two spells in charge.
7-1: English bookmakers’ odds, as of this writing, that Rodgers will succeed Eddie Howe at Newcastle. Howe, once a candidate for the job at Celtic, is under fire following two consecutive losses in the EPL (one of which made the gaffer here at First Touch—a Luton Town supporter—very happy). Stop us if this sounds familiar…
0: The number of Rangers managers who have won their first away match at Celtic Park since Ally McCoist did so in September 2011.
Obviously, at least half of these numbers will become irrelevant after the final whistle blows at Parkhead on Saturday. Arguably, they’re irrelevant already. This fixture has never not served up a surprise—and you can expect that trend to continue.
That number doesn’t lie.