Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia
United Arab Emirates

Heartsvs.Celtic

sportsmole.co.uk, 21 November 2024, 16:31
Celtic, looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership season, are set to travel to Tynecastle Park to face relegation-threatened Hearts on Saturday.

The visitors are top of the league with 31 points from 11 matches, while the visitors are in 11th place, having taken just nine points from their first 13 outings.

Match preview

Celtic entered the 2024/25 season aiming for their fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership title and their 13th in the last 14 years, with their only recent miss coming in the 2020/21 season when Rangers claimed the title unbeaten.

Brendan Rodgers's side have made an ideal start in pursuit of their goal, sitting atop the Scottish Premiership table with 31 points, level with Aberdeen but leading on goal difference, remaining unbeaten in 11 matches with 10 wins and one draw.

Celtic have mirrored their impressive league form across all competitions this season, securing a spot in the Scottish League Cup final with wins over Hibernian, Falkirk, and Aberdeen, while also performing strongly in the Champions League with two wins, one draw, and just one loss.

That defeat came in their 10th outing of the season, a humiliating 7-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund, but Rodgers's side have responded impressively, going unbeaten in their eight matches since with six wins and two draws, leaving that as their only loss of the campaign so far.

Heading into this one on the back of five consecutive wins across all competitions, including a remarkable 6-0 win against Aberdeen and 3-1 victory against RB Leipzig, Celtic will look to continue that streak and unbeaten start to the campaign with another win here.

The Bhoys will undoubtedly be the favourites heading into the match, with the hosts having secured nine points from their opening 13 league fixtures, with two wins, three draws and eight defeats.

That marks a miserable start to the season given the Jambos have finished inside the top four in each of the last three years, third in 2021-22 and 2023-24 and fourth in 2022-23.

After drawing with Rangers on the opening day of the term, Hearts subsequently lost their next eight matches, leading to the dismissal of former manager Steven Naismith.

Liam Fox took over on an interim basis and immediately uplifted the team, achieving a win, a draw, and a loss in his three games, before Neil Critchley was appointed as the permanent manager.

Critchley has guided the Jambos to three wins, one draw and three defeats in his three matches in charge, though they have lost each of their last two matches, a losing streak he will be ambitiously hoping to end with a shock win against Celtic.

Hearts Scottish Premiership form:

L

W

D

L

W

L

Hearts form (all competitions):

W

D

L

W

L

L

Celtic Scottish Premiership form:

W

W

D

W

W

W

Celtic form (all competitions):

D

W

W

W

W

W

Team News

The hosts will be without the services of Calem Nieuwenhof, Gerald Taylor and Yutaro Oda for this match due to ongoing injury issues, with all three not likely to return until at least December.

Despite falling to defeat against Rangers last time out, Critchley could be encouraged by aspects of their performance against a much stronger side, given his team lost just 1-0, meaning he could name a similar side here.

As for the visitors, Odin Thiago Holm is set to be the only absentee for Rodgers to contend with, meaning the manager has a fully-fit squad to choose from.

With an important Champions League fixture against Club Brugge in midweek, Rodgers may opt to field a rotated team in this game, meaning Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn, who has netted in each of his last three appearances, could be benched for James Forrest.

Adam Idah could also lead the line for the Bhoys, while Alex Valle and Paulo Bernardo could also be in line to start against Hearts.

Hearts possible starting lineup:

Gordon; Oyegoke, Kent, Rowles, Penrice; Forrest, Boateng, Devlin, Spittal; Shankland, Vargas

Celtic possible starting lineup:

Schmeichel; Johnston, Trusty, Scales, Valle; Engels, McGregor, Bernardo; Forrest, Idah, Maeda

We say: Hearts 0-3 Celtic

Previews by email
Show more

Top News

28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Freiburg will hope to boost their chances of Champions League qualification with victory against visitors Union Berlin on Sunday in the Bundesliga at Europa-Park Stadion. 28 March 2025 talksport.com When Mesut Ozil got on the ball, it was like he cast a spell on the crowd as they watched on in awe. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City Women will look to bounce back from their European exit when they travel to Broadfield Stadium for Sunday's meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion Women 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham boss Marco Silva has insisted he is focused on Saturday's FA Cup clash against Crystal Palace despite it being "very nice" to hit the significant milestone of 500 games in management. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly considering making a move for Braga attacker Roger Fernandes this summer. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will continue their La Liga campaign with a clash against Leganes on Saturday night. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona attacker Dani Olmo will be sidelined for approximately three weeks with the right adductor injury that he suffered during the team's La Liga clash with Osasuna on Thursday night. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola has revealed Marcos Senesi could be in the squad for Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Osasuna have launched an official appeal to the Spanish Football Federation, claiming that Inigo Martinez was not eligible to take to the field for Barcelona in Thursday's La Liga contest. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to keep their faint hopes of Conference League qualification alive, Brest will travel to the South Coast on Sunday afternoon to face Toulouse in Ligue 1. 28 March 2025 talksport.com Jean-Philippe Mateta is back from his horror injury, but he's now having to wear some unique protective headgear. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti is confident that Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Antonio Rudiger and Dani Ceballos will all be available for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Arsenal on April 8. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool Women will look to bounce back from a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal when they face Aston Villa Women in Sunday's clash at the St Helens Stadium. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Leicester City Women will welcome Tottenham Hotspur Women to the King Power Stadium for Sunday's Women's Super League fixture. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Both looking to ease their growing fears of relegation, Angers and Rennes will clash at Stade Raymond Kopa for a Ligue 1 match on Sunday afternoon. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United Women will welcome Everton Women to Leigh Sports Village for Sunday's Women's Super League encounter. 28 March 2025 talksport.com Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca scrapped a planned rest day for his senior squad after they suffered a shock 3-0 loss to the club's under-21 side in training. 28 March 2025 talksport.com Wrexham are financially stable enough to challenge the big hitters next season if they secure promotion to the Championship. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Buoyed by reaching the Women's Champions League semi-final, Arsenal Women will return to Women's Super League action for Sunday's meeting with Crystal Palace Women. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly plotting a move for Liverpool-linked Jeremie Frimpong in the summer transfer window. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly prepared to consider offers for defender Cristian Romero during the summer transfer window. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly prepared to pay over the release clause of Francisco Trincao in order to land the attacker. 28 March 2025 talksport.com Brazilian football delivered yet another night of chaos as Corinthians clinched their first title in six years - with a familiar face in the middle of a controversial Sao Paolo derby. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has been impressed with young centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov since joining Manchester City in the January transfer window. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola must work around two crushing suspension blows for Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final showdown with Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly moved ahead in the race for Blackburn Rovers sensation Harvey Higgins. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola is confident of having Ederson available for Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final tie with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United teenager Bendito Mantato is reportedly in line for a new four-year contract at Old Trafford. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Catalan battles Basque in the pick of this weekend's FA Cup quarter-finals, where Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth host Pep Guardiola's Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has delivered a positive update on the fitness of his squad ahead of Saturday lunchtime's FA Cup quarter-final tie with Fulham at Craven Cottage.