Fri Aug 8 14:18:07 2008

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Old Firm rivals set to battle for league crown once again

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Glasgow, Scotland (Sports Network) - The last time a team other than Celtic or Rangers lifted the Scottish Premier League trophy was the 1984-85 season, and that trend figures to continue this year with the two Glasgow clubs entering the season as heavy favorites.

Celtic has had the upper hand in the past three years, winning three straight league titles, while Rangers has been left to compete for league cup trophies.

Walter Smith's side was in position for multiple trophies at the end of the season last year, but an incredibly crowded fixture list saw them come up short on the two biggest prizes, the league title and UEFA Cup crown.

A massive list of fixtures will not be an issue this season, however, because the club was upset 2-1 by Lithuanian club Kaunas on Tuesday, eliminating Rangers from the Champions League.

The team will now turn its full attention to winning the SPL title for the first time since 2004-05, and they begin their season on the road at Falkirk.

Smith will have a number of players absent for Saturday's match with David Weir and Nacho Novo out because of suspension, and captain Barry Ferguson on the sidelines because of ankle surgery.

The team had trouble scoring goals at the end of the season, and with Ferguson sidelined, they have already looked weak up top. One player who Smith was hoping could bolster the offense was striker Kenny Miller, but he may not be available because of a thigh injury.

Defender Carlos Cuellar was terrific for Rangers last season in the middle of the back line, but he has been the subject of transfer rumors, and is also suffering from a calf injury that will likely keep him out of Saturday's contest.

Celtic will be taking part in the Champions League once again this season, and they return a similar squad to the one that captured the title last year.

Aiden McGeady established himself as one of the top players in the SPL last season, and the team also returns the league's leading scorer from last season, Scott McDonald. The Australian striker bagged 26 goals for the Hoops last campaign, while the 22-year-old McGeady scored eight goals and helped to set up a number of others.

McGeady will once again be counted on to be a playmaker in midfield, and he has set even loftier goals for the team entering this season.

"The main goal is to win the league title," McGeady said. "We obviously want to try and win every competition, because the league was the only one we won last season. In that respect, we'd like to do better in the cups as well.

"I'm looking forward to the start of the season. Everybody has come back really fit. If you compare our test results from this time last year, they are better. Everyone has been sharp in training and I think it's been a good pre- season so far."

With the Glasgow clubs expected to battle for the top two spots, teams like Motherwell, Aberdeen and Dundee United will likely compete for spots in the league's top half.

Motherwell was a big surprise last season as they overcame a number of tough circumstances to finish in third place. The team opens its season on the road at Hearts, which ended a poor season in eighth place.

Aberdeen also looks to be a potentially strong team, but they normally fail to live up to those expectations. A slow start to the season last year saw them in the bottom half early on, but they rebounded nicely to get back into the top half and finish a respectable fourth place.

The Dons will open up at home on Saturday against Inverness, while Hibernian rounds out Saturday at Kilmarnock. Hibs appeared to be a serious threat to finish third for most of the season, but a string of poor performances late in the season dropped them to sixth.

Sunday's lone contest features Celtic hosting St. Mirren, a team that finished in 10th place last year. On Monday, league newcomers Hamilton kick off the campaign on home soil against a top-five club from last season, Dundee United.