Preview: Celtic vs. Hearts - prediction, team news, lineups

Ange Postecoglou's reigning champions maintained their nine-point lead at the top-flight summit with a 5-1 thrashing against St Mirren while Hearts solidified third place with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to St Johnstone.

Match preview

Mark O'Hara converted a sixth-minute penalty to give St Mirren a surprise lead but Celtic responded emphatically, finding the net five times through five different players in the second half to take their collective tally to 250 goals in 99 games under Postecoglou.

Celtic have been in particularly rampant form this calendar year, scoring at least two goals in each of their last 15 matches across all competitions.

As many as 19 different players have found the net for Celtic in this season's Premiership, comfortably the most in the division and five more than Hearts can boast.

The Bhoys have not lost at home to Scottish opposition since St Mirren secured an unlikely 2-1 win at Celtic Park in January 2021, five months before Postecoglou's reign began.

Robbie Neilson's side swatted away any concerns that a limp loss to Motherwell last month may have raised by returning to top-flight action with a breezy 3-0 victory at home to St Johnstone on Saturday.

With Josh Ginnelly back from suspension and dovetailing devilishly alongside Lawrence Shankland, Hearts maintained a five-point gap above fourth-placed Edinburgh rivals Hibernian.

Hearts have kept three clean sheets in their last four away trips and only have conceded 17 goals on the road this term - the third-best tally in the Premiership.

These sides produced a seven-goal thriller when they met at Tynecastle back in October, with Celtic prevailing despite conceding a Shankland hat-trick in what Postecoglou accurately labelled a "cracking game".

Neilson came away from the autumnal meeting "proud of my players" but could not secure victory - Hearts have not beaten Celtic away from home in the league since 2005 when Neilson was in the visiting defence which kept a clean sheet against the likes of John Hartson and Chris Sutton.

This is the first of two meetings in four days between the sides as Hearts host Celtic in the Scottish FA Cup on Saturday.

Celtic Scottish Premiership form:

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Celtic form (all competitions):

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Hearts Scottish Premiership form:

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Hearts form (all competitions):

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Team News

Postecoglou named the exact same XI against St Mirren which started the triumphant Scottish League Cup final the week before and even used the same substitutes - three of which scored against the Buddies.

With James McCarthy (hamstring) the only fitness concern for the Bhoys, Postecoglou could be tempted to shuffle his pack before a cup tie away from home this weekend.

Hearts have been hampered by fitness problems throughout the campaign and are set to be without first-choice goalkeeper Craig Gordon and centre-back Craig Halkett for the foreseeable future.

Liam Boyce and Beni Baningime have both resumed training after recovering from cruciate ligament injuries but are not expected to return to competitive action until May.

Gary Mackay-Steven has not featured for the Jambos since September after suffering a fractured foot which required surgery - there is a tentative hope that the former Celtic winger could return this month but doubts continue to linger over Peter Haring (concussion) and Stephen Humphrys (illness).

Celtic possible starting lineup:

Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor; Hatate, McGregor, O'Riley; Abada, Oh, Jota

Hearts possible starting lineup:

Clark; Kingsley, Rowles, Hill; Smith, Snodgrass, Grant, Cochrane; Shankland, Ginnelly, McKay

We say: Celtic 3-1 Hearts

Neilson insisted that Hearts would not deviate from their typical passing game when travelling to Glasgow but few in Scotland have been able to keep the ball against a Celtic side which averages 73% possession.

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