Dein erstes Forum » ave.So you are saying Celtic should win again,

Graeme Souness believes Celtic are big favourites to beat Rangers when the Old Firm meet in the Scottish Cup semi-final on Sunday. This weekend brings the second meeting of the Glasgow rivals since Rangers were readmitted to Scottish football in the Third Division four years ago.Last years League Cup semi-final ended in a 2-0 Celtic win and although Souness expects Rangers to put in an improved performance at Hampden, he says Celtics top-flight experience should see the Hoops through. Celtic start as the big favourites. They play in the bigger league against better players every week, he told Sky Sports News HQ. Celtic should win , but its a derby game, its a cup game and Rangers have a big chance in this. This is not a foregone conclusion. Graeme Souness The challenge for Rangers is to make a fist of it; to turn up and make a game of it, which they didnt last year. Anything can happen in a derby, but Celtic must start as the outstanding favourites. I want Rangers to do themselves justice.Celtic are used to playing against better players. They are used to moving the ball quicker. They are used to having a quicker thought-process.Both sets of players are used to playing in big atmospheres, so that shouldnt be an issue, but they have better players. Former Rangers player and manager Graeme Souness explains why the Old Firm derby against Celtic is the most intense fixture in world football Its about who has got the best group of players. Who has more people who can finish? Celtic have. Who has got the better defenders? Celtic have.So you are saying Celtic should win again, but its a derby game, its a cup game and Rangers have a big chance in this. This is not a foregone conclusion for Celtic and they know that.Souness, who played for and managed Rangers, believes the Old Firm derby is the biggest he has ever been involved in because of the passion of the fans on both sides of the divide. Former Rangers captain David Weir looks back on his memories of his Old Firm derby against Celtic It isnt just another game, he added. Its the biggest derby Ive ever been involved in. Everton v Liverpool, the Galatasaray one was a big game, but it still doesnt come near this.A lot of it is in your own mind because you feed off that passion your supporters have for your football club and you start to absorb that and take it on board.You feel guilty when you feel when you havent done the best for them. Thats what these two clubs mean to the supporters. Its greater here than anywhere else, and that is why this is not just another derby. Also See: Old Firm derby like nothing else Walker: Celtic favourites Warburton: Derby just the start Forrester misses Old Firm clash NEW ORLEANS -- Detroit safety Glover Quin recognized a deep route by Brandin Cooks just in time to make a diving breakup of a long pass down the middle of the field.A few plays later, Quin intercepted Brees along the sideline.Obviously Drew Brees is a great player with great talent around him; we knew it was going to be a challenge, so we locked in -- all week, Quin said.That much was evident in the Lions 28-13 victory over the Saints on Sunday in the Superdome, where Brees had a touchdown pass in 60 straight home games before Detroit derailed that streak.If there was ever an outing that could embolden a defense as the stakes rise for the NFC North Division-leading Lions (8-4) late in the season, that was it.After all, the Saints (5-7) had scored seven TDs in the Superdome one week earlier in a blowout victory over the Los Angeles Rams.This week, the Lions intercepted Brees three times -- once each by Quin , Tavon Wilson and Miles Killebrew .We just did what we do. Thats what great defenses do, Quin said. They put up 49 points in this building last week, so for us to come in here and not allow (Brees) to throw a touchdown, to get three turnovers, to hold them to 13 points, 50 yards rushing ... against an offense like this, I think it was a good performance.While Brees finished with 326 yards passing, he had only had 94 yards at halftime and didnt get his last 75 yards until New Orleans final drive, when Detroit led by 15 and was giving up underneath routes in an effort to reduce the chances of a quick strike.The more productive quarterback on the day was Detroits Matthew Stafford, who completed 31 of 44 passes for 341 yards, two touchdowns and did not turn the ball over.His only regret was that Detroit failed to score touchdowns on four trips inside the New Orleans 20. This time, though, the Lions didnt need those points.Our defense, giving up 13 to that group, is pretty incredible, Stafford said.Detroits suffocating defense emerged as one key story line from the Lions victory in New Orleans. Here are some others:SLOPPY SAINTSThe Saints regretted several chances to make game-changing plays which slipped through their fingers. Cornerback Sterling Moore dropped what had the makings of a certain interception of a tipped pass with the potential for aa long return.ddddddddddddTight Coby Fleener had a pass bounce off his hands at the goal line. Cameron Jordan made a strong play to bat one of Staffords passes into the air in the fourth quarter when the Saints trailed by six, but he couldnt pick up the ball in time to catch it before it dropped right next to him. Brees also failed to handle a shotgun snap on third-and-1.Saints coach Sean Payton said his team looked, sluggish, like we came off a short week or something.GOLDEN TOUCHStafford connected with Golden Tate eight times for 145 yards , and the pair was particularly in synch on a third-and-10 play early in the fourth quarter.With the Superdome crowd roaring in hopes of disrupting the Lions communication at the line of scrimmage, Stafford recognized safety Kenny Vaccaros impending blitz, checked into a different play and rifled a pass to a wide-open Tate for a 66-yard TD pass that gave the Lions a 25-13 lead.PLAYOFF PICTUREWhile the Lions consolidated their perch atop their division with a seventh victory in eight games, the Saints slid closer to the brink of elimination. New Orleans was only fortunate that NFC South leader Atlanta lost, as did the Redskins, who entered the day holding the last wild-card slot. The results left the Saints two games out of a playoff spot with four games left.Its nice to have something that were still playing for, Saints right tackle Zach Strief said. Were not out. Were not done, and yet, if you thought your back was against the wall before, look now.Detroit is trying to win its first division crown since 1993, when it played in the NFC Central. The Lions have a two-game lead over second-place Minnesota and Green Bay.KEEPING IT CLEANWith his latest game without a turnover, Stafford has thrown just one interception in his past eight games.As he has done regularly this season, Stafford mixes in a few timely scrambles rather than force throws. He rushed three times for 22 yards, including an 11-yard run for a first down, giving him 30 rushes for a career-high 178 yards, an average of 5.9 yards per carry.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '