It could be a long afternoon for Dons

Aberdeen will go into today’s Betfred Cup Final with the advantage of having had a clear preparation for the tie in a week which has seen Celtic off on European travels.

However, they will still need to play very well – and carry a fair bit of underdogs’ good fortune – if they are to trouble the holders at Hampden.

I say that because Celtic have been playing really well of late, and with the return of Scott Brown to the fold sure to be a boost, even if only through his presence on the substitutes’ bench acting as an incentive to the midfielders in the side.

So Derek Mcinnes will need to get his tactics spot on. Otherwise, it is hard to see anything other than a comfortable Celtic win. My prediction: Celtic 3-1 Aberdeen.