Chris Sutton sweats on Celtic’s Giorgos Giakoumakis loss, calls Rangers cup record ‘woeful’
Chris Sutton is sweating on the “Desperation Derby” between Rangers and Celtic on Sunday (17 April) with a key Hoop out and Gers bouncing from Europe.
Giorgos Giakoumakis will miss the cup clash at Hampden Park with a hamstring injury in a major blow to the league-leaders game plan, as they chase a domestic treble that Sutton expects to be a key motivating factor.
And despite consecutive league defeats in Old Firm derbies Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men proved there is still life in them as they triumphed 3-1 against Braga at Ibrox last night to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League.
On the missing Greek, Sutton wrote in his Daily Record column: “Postecoglou might have a decision to make up front, with Giorgos Giakoumakis looking like he’ll miss out.
“The Greek will be a big loss as he’s been a massive player since coming back from the winter break.”
And he is weary of the Light Blues’ threat, after the Braga result, and considering the importance of the cup in the circumstances, writing: “You only have to look at [Rangers’] woeful cup record in the last decade as well to see they need to get their hands on a trophy.
“They might have lost the last couple of derbies but they are still a more than decent side with players of top ability to hurt teams.
“Just look at their European run. They might have stumbled domestically this term but they are not some kind of hopeless rabble.”
Tough to call
This Gers team make predictions almost impossible at the moment, as they fluctuate so wildly between domestic and European competition.
Just when their season looked to be fizzling out they produced another rousing Ibrox night to reach the last four of the Europa League.
They managed a few minutes of something similar to catch their Glasgow rivals cold in the 2-1 league defeat that ultimately may have ended the title defence.
But once they were pegged back the rest of that game was too similar to many of the flat league draws that have peppered the last few months.
Clearly Celtic have proven they can beat the Bears, but van Bronckhorst keeps rescuing the season in knockout competition.
Perhaps now with the other side of Glasgow missing a key striker, and Kemar Roofe suddenly in hot form in Alfredo Morelos’ place, this momentum in this game will shift across the city again.
In other Rangers news, the Braga president launched a furious attack on the officials as he claimed his side should have gone through.