Kris Boyd has weighed in on the Scottish Premiership title race between Rangers and Celtic following Celtic’s 7-1 thrashing by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Despite the heavy European defeat, Boyd still believes Celtic are the favourites to clinch the league title.
Speaking on Sky Sports News (2 October, 10:04am), Boyd admitted that the Dortmund humiliation might have shaken Celtic’s confidence but remains convinced they’ll come out on top domestically.
He also noted that Celtic are the favourites to lift both of Scotland’s domestic cup trophies, although Tuesday’s (1 October) defeat could have been even worse for the Glasgow side.
Boyd said: “[Celtic] will still win the league. They’re the favourites to win both cups as well.
“But once again, despite being very optimistic, last night’s performance brought them right back down to reality – it could easily have been a lot more [than seven goals].”
Rangers Must Capitalise on Celtic’s European Setback
For Rangers, Celtic’s European collapse presents a potential opportunity to shift momentum in the title race. It’s a rare sight to see a team open their Champions League campaign with a 5-1 win only to be hammered so heavily in the next fixture that they end up with a negative goal difference.
Rangers, under Philippe Clement, have had a more assured start to their European campaign, securing a 2-0 away win against Malmo.
However, they will be wary of avoiding any similar pitfalls as they prepare to host Lyon on 3 October in their next Europa League encounter. Clement will be hoping the passionate Ibrox crowd can drive the team to another victory on the continental stage.
The Gers’ win in Malmo was their third consecutive clean sheet and victory across all competitions. If they are to close the five-point gap that currently separates them from Celtic in the Premiership, maintaining this form will be crucial.
Celtic’s vulnerabilities, exposed so starkly in Dortmund, could encourage other Scottish sides to take advantage, and none will be more eager to exploit those weaknesses than Rangers.