Preview: Ross County vs. Celtic - prediction, team news, lineups

Ange Postecoglou's side find themselves nine points clear of Rangers at the summit of the table, while Ross County occupy the dreaded relegation playoff spot.

Match preview

Given their lowly league position, Ross County would have been desperate to enter the international break on the back of a positive result, but Malky Mackay's men ended up suffering a 2-1 defeat to Livingston.

Not only have Ross County lost each of their last two matches, but they have also lost four of their previous five, leaving them just two points clear of bottom club Dundee United and one point from safety.

To make matters worse for the Staggies, they have only managed to win two of their past 14 league outings, so it is easy to understand why they find themselves second from bottom in the table.

Ross County will need to improve their home form if they want to steer clear of relegation trouble, as they have lost eight of their 15 clashes at the Global Energy Stadium, while only two sides have claimed fewer home wins this term.

That said, with high-flying Celtic heading to Dingwall, it will be extremely difficult for Mackay's side to improve their home record this weekend.

Celtic have already claimed three dominant victories in March, with a 5-1 thrashing of St Mirren preceding a couple of 3-1 wins against Hearts and Hibernian.

Consequently, the Bhoys head into Sunday's clash on a mammoth 22-game unbeaten streak in the league, having notched 12 straight wins between October and December before chalking up their current nine-match winning run.

When you look at the bigger picture, Celtic have won 27 of their 29 Premiership games this season, taking 82 points from a possible 87 to effectively eliminate arch-rivals Rangers from the title race.

Celtic's ability to score for fun has enabled them to net a whopping 93 goals in 2022-23, meaning that Ange Postecoglou's men are averaging more than three goals per game in the Premiership this term.

Having racked up 22 goals across their past six league outings - conceding on just four occasions in the process - Celtic will be confident of extending their hot streak and making light of struggling Ross County.

Ross County Scottish Premiership form:

D

L

L

W

L

L

Celtic Scottish Premiership form:

W

W

W

W

W

W

Celtic form (all competitions):

W

W

W

W

W

W

Team News

Ross County will be without the injured midfield duo of Ben Paton (knee) and Jordan Tillson (groin) this weekend, while defender Ben Purrington (ankle) is also on the sidelines.

As a result, Malky Mackay is expected to continue with Victor Loturi and Nohan Kenneh in the middle of the park, with Josh Sims operating behind Eamonn Brophy and Jordan White in attack.

Having missed the past three league games, Celtic winger James Forrest (muscle) is not expected to feature in Ange Postecoglou's matchday squad on Sunday, while castaway midfielder James McCarthy remains absent.

Top scorer Kyogo Furuhashi has netted 20 goals in 27 league games this season, while Aaron Mooy has contributed four goals and nine assists from midfield.

At the opposite end of the pitch, goalkeeper Joe Hart has kept 13 clean sheets in 29 Premiership appearances this term, conceding just 21 goals along the way.

Ross County possible starting lineup:

Laidlaw; Randall, Watson, Iacovitti; Edwards, Kenneh, Loturi, Harmon; Sims; White, Brophy

Celtic possible starting lineup:

Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor; Mooy, McGregor, Hatate; Jota, Furuhashi, Maeda

We say: Ross County 0-3 Celtic

Given that only three sides have conceded fewer goals than Ross County this season, the hosts should be able to avoid a humiliating thrashing at the hands of the runaway leaders.

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