This week ex-Rangers player Barry Ferguson suggested that Rangers have the edge on their Old Firm rivals in one key area. Steven Gerrard’s strike force, in his eyes, is much more potent than Neil Lennon’s (PLZ Soccer).
Rangers have Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe as their strikers, while Lennon has Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths as his main men this season. Celtic also have Vakoun Issouf Bayo at their disposal, however, the 22-year-old has rarely featured for Lennon this season.
With both teams at the top of the Scottish Premiership, joined on points, there is just one goal separating the two teams after 12 games each (Sky Sports). But what does the data behind Ferguson’s claims say? Who is the most potent strike force in the Scottish Premiership?
TIF Tactics – Which strike force is more lethal? Rangers’ or Celtic’s?
Celtic’s strikers have clearly been clinical this year. In 2323 minutes of football, Edouard has scored 21 goals in all competitions, exceeding his xG (expected goals) of 17.22. Griffiths has scored five goals compared to his 4.9 xG while Bayo has scored two goals compared to his 2.05 xG. In a total of 3782 minutes, Celtic’s three strikers have managed to score 28 goals in 3782 minutes compared to their 24.17 xG.
When looking at Rangers, the numbers are equally impressive. Defoe has scored 16 goals compared to his 10.18 xG. Morelos has scored 22 goals compared to his 18.05 xG. In a combined 2969 minutes, the duo have scored 38 goals compared to their 28.23 xG. In fewer minutes, the pair have scored more goals. They also exceed their xG by nearly 10. If you averaged it out, the Celtic trio have scored 1.70 goals per 90 minutes with an xG of 1.57. Defoe and Morelos have scored an average of 2.42 goals per 90 mins, with an xG of 1.73.
So when Ferguson says Rangers have the edge on their rivals in the strikers department, he is correct. Both teams’ players have exceeded their xG, however, the Rangers’ duo have done it on a much higher scale. With that being said, Celtic still have one more goal in the league than them, indicating that their goals are coming from elsewhere. Rangers aren’t struggling for goals, but they are very reliant on their two strikers.
(all data and stats from Wyscout.com, accurate at the time of writing)