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·15 December 2024
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·15 December 2024
Callum McGregor: Carded in 11 of his last 22 starts in the Old Firm derby
Celtic v Rangers & Man City v Man UtdSunday 15 December, 15:30 & 16:30Live on Premier Sports 1 & Sky Sports Premier League
Things need to change in this column and so I'm making the executive decision for a different approach on Sunday.
I'm going for a card double across two games - both derbies. Here's why.
Let's start in Scotland where Celtic and Rangers face off the League Cup final at Hampden.
It's fair to say the layers are expecting cards - 7+ is odds-on.
There's certainly a decent referee in charge with John Beaton the second strictest in card terms in this season's Premiership, averaging more than five per game.
He issued nine in his last Old Firm derby and these Hampden showpiece occasions have a decent history for cards when these two meet.
The man to provide some value here is Celtic captain Callum McGregor.
He's been booked in 11 of his last 22 starts against Rangers.
Five of those matches have been at Hampden (either cup finals or semi-finals) and McGregor has seen yellow in four.
Essentially, he's replaced Scott Brown - another card regular in this fixture - as Celtic's enforcer in the derby and so 23/10 looks a decent-enough price.
Moving across the border and down to Manchester, it's Bernardo Silva who is of interest.
I highlighted his track record for cards against Liverpool on these pages a couple of weeks ago and still can't believe he wasn't booked after he clearly kicked out at Mo Salah.
Any way, the Portuguese also gets up for this game and City in general surely need to following their disastrous run of one win in 10.
Silva has been carded in three of his 11 Premier League starts against United and also picked up another in the Community Shield earlier this season - a fixture which traditionally features few cards.
Anthony Taylor isn't the ideal choice of official but he's one who doesn't take kindly to players in his ear and that's exactly the sort of stuff Silva gets up to - as we saw at Anfield a fortnight ago.
Staked: 153pts Returned: 166.93pts P/L: +13.93pts
2023/24 P/L: +16.78pts 2022/23 P/L: +68.69pts