Celticvs.St Mirren

The hosts remain at the top of the table with 50 points from their 19 games played, while the visitors are fifth in the standings with 27 points from their 21 matches.

Match preview

Celtic's remarkable unbeaten run across domestic competitions came to a screeching halt in their last outing, as they suffered a dismal 3-0 defeat to rivals Rangers, a match in which the Bhoys were thoroughly outclassed by their opponents.

The Gers fired a massive 24 shots, with nine on target, while limiting Celtic to a measly four shots, only one of which was on target, a significant drop from their league-high average of 7.3 shots on target per game this term.

While the result will certainly be worrying for Brendan Rodgers and Celtic fans, the Bhoys still maintain a healthy 11-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, having won 16 and drawn two of the previous 18 fixtures.

They will be hoping the defeat was simply a blip as they aim to quickly return to winning ways, a feat they have already accomplished this season having bounced back from a devastating 7-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League by going on an 18-game unbeaten run.

History certainly suggests the Bhoys are the favourites to pick up a commanding win in this one, with Celtic having claimed victory in nine of the last 10 meetings across all competitions, alongside one draw.

St Mirren are also heading into this match having lost each of their last two outings, falling to a 2-1 defeat to Dundee followed by a 2-0 loss to Kilmarnock.

Those results ended an encouraging three-game winning run for St Mirren, which included victories over St Johnstone, Ross County and Rangers, helping them into a promising fifth place in the league.

That comes as a marked improvement on the difficult start to the campaign that Stephen Robinson's side endured, which saw St Mirren win just two of their first 10 league outings.

They will now be hoping they are coming up against Celtic at just the right time after their Old Firm derby defeat, looking to leave Celtic Park with a victory for the first time since January 2021.

Celtic Scottish Premiership form:

W

W

D

W

W

L

Celtic form (all competitions):

D

D

D

W

W

L

St Mirren Scottish Premiership form:

L

W

W

W

L

L

Team News

Celtic are expected to be without James Forrest (foot) and Odin Thiago Holm (calf) for this match due to injury issues, though both are anticipated to return later this month.

Their hugely underwhelming performance in the dismal 3-0 loss to Rangers last time out is likely to lead Rodgers to make several changes in this match, with a shakeup particularly expected in midfield, where Luke McCowan and Arne Engels are potentially in line for starts.

As for St Mirren, Charles Dunne is anticipated to be the only absentee due to injury, with the defender likely to be sidelined until later this month due to a hamstring issue.

After suffering back-to-back losses heading into this match, Robinson could make a number of changes in an attempt to revitalise the side and return to winning ways.

Celtic possible starting lineup:

Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Valle; McCowan, McGregor, Engels; Kuhn, Idah, Palma

St Mirren possible starting lineup:

Balcombe; Fraser, Iacovitti, Taylor; Bwomono, Phillips, Boyd-Munce, John; Idowu, Kiltie, Mandron

We say: Celtic 3-0 St Mirren

Written by

Ellis Stevens

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