Preview: St Johnstone vs. Celtic - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts will also be aiming to rebound from a defeat in their most recent outing, as they currently sit at the opposite end of the table to the Hoops.

Match preview

St Johnstone head into this match sitting ninth in the Scottish Premiership table, and while they have a six-point gap on the relegation zone there is no doubt that Callum Davidson will be wanting his team to push away from that.

To do that the Saints will need to provide a stronger performance than they managed last weekend, when they were beaten 2-1 by Kilmarnock, who actually sit below them.

A brace from Danny Armstrong was too much for St Johnstone to deal with, as Theo Blair's 91st-minute goal proved to be nothing more than a consolation.

The Saints have won just a single game at McDiarmid Park so far in this campaign, which is something to improve if they want to avoid being dragged towards the relegation zone.

However, the last two games that St Johnstone have played at home have seen them keep clean sheets, and against the strongest attacking team in the league that could prove to be vital.

After eight games in the Scottish Premiership the defending champions already find themselves in the top spot heading into Saturday's fixture.

However, the Hoops are struggling for consistency as of late as they have only won twice in their previous six matches in all competitions as Ange Postecoglou's team are out of form.

Their latest defeat took place in midweek against RB Leipzig, as Celtic conceded two goals in the space of 10 minutes from Andre Silva which ruled out the earlier equaliser that Jota had scored.

Despite letting in three times in the Champions League, Joe Hart has been strong defensively for the Hoops as Celtic have only conceded four times in the league to this point.

The defending champions have only lost once in the Scottish Premiership this season, but that one also took place away from home, which is something that they will be looking to address.

St Johnstone Scottish Premiership form:

L

L

W

D

W

L

Celtic Scottish Premiership form:

W

W

W

W

L

W

Celtic form (all competitions):

W

L

D

L

W

L

Team News

Tony Gallacher made his return to the St Johnstone matchday squad after suffering a leg fracture back in April, and he is now an option once again for Davidson.

Blair was only used as a substitute in the most recent match, but the fact he came off the bench and scored could be enough to put him in contention to start.

Despite making a mistake in midweek there is no doubt that Hart will retain his place in goal for Celtic, with his experience and skill being vital to how the team have played so far this season.

The Hoops used the exact same starting lineup for their previous two games, and that is something that could end up happening again, despite the Champions League loss.

However, Giorgos Giakoumakis is now fit again, and while he only managed a place on the bench against RB Leipzig he could end up pushing into the team this weekend.

St Johnstone possible starting lineup:

Matthews; Brown, Considine, Gordon, Mitchell, Wright; Hallberg, McGowan, Crawford; Clark, May

Celtic possible starting lineup:

Hart; Juranovic, Welsh, Jenz, Taylor; Hatate, McGregor, O'Riley; Jota, Furuhashi, Maeda

We say: St Johnstone 0-3 Celtic

St Johnstone have showcased the ability to be strong defensively at home, but Saturday is going to be a difficult test for them.

Celtic is the strongest attacking squad in the division right now, and coming off the back of a defeat they will be no doubt looking to get their season back on track.

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