Mark Walker's Scottish Tips

Three Scottish clubs are in European action again this week as they aim to continue what has been very decent campaigns so far.

Celtic kick us off with a winnable-looking tie in the Champions League away to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.

Up until this season, there were three things in life seemingly certain…death, taxes and Celtic getting embarrassed away from home in Europe.

But it's very different this season where Brendan Rodgers' side have given a good account of themselves in the premier European competition and look very likely to qualify.

The turning point appears to have been a battering by Borussia Dortmund where they were crushed 7-1. It was noticeable in the next game, they turned in a mature performance to draw in Italy with in-form Atalanta.

And they are in majestic form in Scotland where they continue to steamroll everything in their path.

The opposite is true for a Dinamo Zagreb side who have now gone five games without a win and are absolutely besieged by a lengthy injury list.

Celtic would probably have been a good shout to win this anyway, but that makes them even more backable.

It's no surprise money has been pouring in for them this week and William Hill's 13/10 looks a very solid bet for a win for Celtic.

There's a fascinating Battle of Britain at Ibrox in the Europa League when Rangers host Spurs.

When this draw was made, there were plenty of Rangers fans fearful of a similar bleaching they took from Liverpool two years ago in the Champions League when they were crushed 7-1.

However, the much-publicised problems of Tottenham Hotspur and their under-pressure boss Ange Postecoglou have intensified after they threw away a two-goal lead at the weekend against Chelsea.

But Rangers boss Philippe Clement appears to have bought a stay of execution at the very least after he found a way to get his side scoring goals again.

They put six past Kilmarnock and three past Ross County, but this is an obviously different ball game.

Last season, Aston Villa underlined the gulf in class between the top two leagues by winning 5-0 at Easter Road against Hibs….just a year after that Liverpool annihilation.

And no one knows more about beating Rangers than Postecoglou who trounced them with regularity when he was Celtic boss.

And with Spurs famous gung-ho attitude, there surely has to be plenty of goals in Glasgow on Thursday. Spurs at around evens is tempting, but the 12/5 on both teams to score and Tottenham to win with bet365 looks very tempting indeed.

In the Europa Conference League, Hearts face a tricky test in Denmark against FC Copenhagen.

The Tynecastle side hauled themselves off the bottom of the league on Saturday with a win against in-form Dundee, but more importantly, last season's 33-goal talisman and captain Lawrence Shankland ended a 12-game goal drought with a double…and he could easily have doubled that.

FCK are on a good run of form at the moment and are unbeaten in 12, but they did lose at home to Polish side Jagiellonia Białystok and only drew in Kilmarnock in this competition. They are not the side who got through their Champions League group stages last season and eliminated Manchester United.

There's certainly not worth steaming into at a general 1/3 against a Hearts side who have held their own in Europe.

There could be some value in Shankland scoring when the prices come out, but back Hearts with a two-goal start on the handicaps at 7/10 with Betfred against the Danes, who have only won one game in the group stages so far.

Avatar of Mark Walker

Sheepy

123 articles

Freelance Scottish Football journalist for all newspapers. Former Racing Post Scottish Football Correspondent and long-suffering Aberdeen fan.

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