In an effort to bounce back from a disappointing draw over the weekend and solidify their position at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, Celtic is set to host St Mirren at Parkhead on Wednesday.
Match Preview
The hosts recently encountered a setback when they were held by Hibernian on Saturday. Nevertheless, they maintain a five-point lead over the chasing pack in the league standings.
Meanwhile, St Mirren, after returning to winning ways, currently sits in third place.
After a loss in the previous game before the recent international break, Celtic stands as the only team in the Scottish Premiership with an unbeaten record, having secured 26 points from their first 10 matches. This puts them five points ahead of second-placed Rangers.
Under the guidance of their returning manager, Brendan Rodgers, the Glasgow giants won seven of their first eight league matches before the October international break, with one draw. They managed to score 19 goals while conceding only five.
Upon their return to action, Celtic defeated Hearts 4-1, followed by a commendable 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
However, in their most recent league encounter, they had to settle for a draw against Hibernian, reducing their lead over Rangers to five points.
Celtic is determined to get back to winning ways and maintain their lead in the pursuit of a third consecutive league triumph.
Standing in their way is a St Mirren side that aspires to build on its strong start in the Scottish Premiership.
The Saints, after finishing sixth last season, established themselves in the top three by remaining unbeaten in their first seven matches, recording four wins and three draws. They scored 11 goals and conceded seven.
Their unbeaten streak came to an end with a 3-0 defeat against Rangers before the international break.
However, they bounced back in style by defeating St Johnstone 4-0 in their most recent match.
Sitting comfortably in third place after nine games, St Mirren will look to pull off an upset at Parkhead on Wednesday, aiming to strengthen their position in the league further.
Team News
Celtic is dealing with several injury concerns, with key midfielder Reo Hatate still sidelined, along with Stephen Welsh, James McCarthy, Liel Abada, and Marco Tilio.
Alistair Johnston is also a fresh concern. Benfica loanee Paulo Bernardo is expected to join Matt O’Riley and Callum McGregor in midfield. Kyogo Furuhashi and O’Riley are the key attacking contributors for Celtic.
St Mirren may field an unchanged starting XI from their previous victory, with Mikael Mandron leading the line. They have quality players like Conor McMenamin and Greg Kiltie in their lineup.
Predicted Lineups
Celtic:
- Hart;
- Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor;
- O’Riley, McGregor, Turnbull;
- Maeda, Furuhashi, Palma
St Mirren:
- Hemming;
- Fraser, Gogic, Taylor;
- Strain, Baccus, O’Hara, Tanser;
- McMenamin, Mandron, Kiltie
Match Prediction
We predict a 2-0 victory for Celtic over St Mirren. While St Mirren has displayed their quality throughout the season, a visit to Parkhead might be a challenging task, and we expect Celtic to outperform them and secure all three points at home.