Stiliyan Petrov: Aberdeen Not A Threat To Champions Celtic In Title Race

Stiliyan Petrov is adamant Aberdeen are not a threat to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race.

The two clubs went into the third international break level at the top of the table on 31 points and unbeaten after 11 games.

The Dons are 16/1 with betting sites to win the Scottish Premiership for the first time in 40 years, while the Bhoys are 1/14 to make it four in a row and draw level with arch rivals Rangers on 55 titles.

Jimmy Thelin’s side are away from home in their next three fixtures before they face Celtic in a midweek match at Pittodrie in the first week of December.

Aberdeen fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Celtic in a thrilling first league encounter in October, but two weeks later Brendan Rodgers’ men turned on the style in a 6-0 rout in the Scottish League Cup semi-final.

Petrov, who won four titles with the Hoops at the start of the century, believes that result is a sign of things to come and when asked whether Aberdeen will pose a threat to Celtic in the title race, the Bulgarian was very clear.

In an exclusive with Gambling.com, Petrov said: “No! What are you talking about? Of course not. In the first league game I think that Celtic felt a little bit surprised with the way that Aberdeen were set up, their aggressiveness and the speed of their play. 

"Celtic were a little bit caught off guard, but after that they felt the pressure and that someone [Aberdeen] were breathing down their necks. 

"Then you saw what happened in the cup game. They concentrated, put in a great performance and this is what Celtic is all about. 

"As soon as they feel that somebody is getting close to them, they just go to the next gear and when that happens Celtic are untouchable."

Rangers Are In Trouble

Both clubs are nine points clear of Rangers, whose manager Phillippe Clement remains under pressure following three defeats this season.

The Light Blues have not finished outside the top two since the 2017/18 season and Petrov is concerned Aberdeen’s squad may lack depth when it comes to the crunch.

However, the former Aston Villa midfielder is adamant Rangers have more on their plate than just worrying about catching up Aberdeen.

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"It seems like Rangers have to worry about everyone at the moment,” he said. “Aberdeen are showing consistency. 

“I don't know how much depth they've got in the team and how long they can go on this run, because to stay in those positions you have to be able to sustain form and good results for a long period of time. 

“And Celtic and Rangers have been there for many, many years - so they know how to deal with the pressure. 

"It's something new for Aberdeen, but they're definitely showing that Celtic and Rangers can be pushed from the outside."

Belgians Next For Bhoys

Celtic return to Champions League action next week when they host Club Brugge still in pole position to qualify for the knockout stage.

A 5-1 win against Slovan Bratislava on matchday one was followed by a dispiriting 7-1 defeat at Borussia Dortmund, but the Bhoys bounced back with a gritty goalless draw at high-flying Serie A side Atalanta.

A fervent crowd at Parkhead swept them to an impressive 3-1 victory over Leipzig which has left them in 15th place in the new 32-team Champions League format.

Celtic still have to travel to Dinamo Zagreb and wrap up the group stage in a mouthwatering Battle of Britain game at Aston Villa towards the end of January.

They are 7/1 with football betting sites to end the group stage in the top eight which would ensure an automatic place in the last 16 or 1/5 to finish between ninth and 24th which would result in a play-off. 

Petrov believes Rodgers adopted the right tactics in Italy following their capitulation in Dortmund and believes a similar approach is the way to go when Celtic are on the road in Europe again.

"Yes of course. They're doing incredibly well. Top of the league, doing well in the Champions League, and this is what it's all about - these European nights," he said.

"After the disappointing result against Borussia Dortmund, I think Brendan Rodgers and the coaching staff really analysed what needed to be done and how to get results, especially away from home - because we know that Celtic Park is a fortress. 

“Teams come there and are intimidated by the fans and the way the team is playing. 

"It was important to understand what to do to get that result. They went to Atalanta and what they've done is just be solid in defence. 

“They've battled really hard and they managed to get a result. So, it's showing that even if you don’t play good football, you can still get points and you can still give yourself a chance to win games.

"You have to adapt and I think Brendan Rodgers adapted really well at that moment, especially after the Borussia Dortmund result."