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

Celtic volition purpose to support their singular unbeaten presumption successful this season's Scottish Premiership erstwhile they big bottommost of the array St Johnstone astatine Celtic Park connected Sunday afternoon.

The hosts are apical of the array with a superb 47 points from their opening 17 league fixtures, portion the visitors are successful past spot with conscionable 14 points from 19 outings, leaving them 4 points adrift of safety.

Match preview

© Imago

Celtic person enjoyed a singular archetypal fractional of the 2024-25 season, suffering conscionable 1 nonaccomplishment successful the 27 matches that they person played crossed each competitions frankincense far.

That sole decision came connected the 2nd matchday of the Champions League league phase, a humbling 7-1 thrashing by Borussia Dortmund, but Celtic swiftly recovered and person remained unbeaten successful each competitions since, meaning they are without a nonaccomplishment successful immoderate home competitions to date.

Those results permission them apical of the Scottish Premiership with a steadfast 12 constituent vantage implicit a precocious resurged Rangers broadside successful 2nd place, portion they person besides already defeated their Old Firm rivals connected penalties successful the Scottish League Cup final, ensuring the Bhoys claimed the archetypal silverware of the season.

Brendan Rodgers's broadside dropped points for conscionable the 2nd clip this run pursuing the cupful last arsenic they were held to a goalless gully with Dundee United, but they person since returned to winning ways with a 4-0 demolition of Motherwell connected Boxing Day.

Now aiming to widen their pb astatine the apical of the Scottish Premiership and support their superb unbeaten presumption successful the league, Celtic volition instrumentality connected a St Johnstone broadside that are stone bottommost of the table.

The Saints person narrowly avoided relegation successful each of the past 3 years, winning successful the relegation playoff successful 2021-22, finishing ninth successful 2022-23 and 10th successful 2023-24.

They erstwhile again find themselves embroiled successful the conflict for endurance this term, disappointingly sitting bottommost of the array with conscionable 14 points from 19 matches, aft 4 wins, 2 draws and 13 defeats, leaving them 4 points down 10th-placed Ross County.

Craig Levein initially started the run successful complaint but was sacked successful mid September aft a mediocre commencement to the campaign, but the accomplishment of Simo Valakari has done small to amended St Johnstone's form.

The caller brag has recorded conscionable 3 wins, 1 gully and 8 losses successful his opening 12 matches astatine the helm, including coming into this crippled without a triumph successful their past five.

They volition beryllium hoping to interruption that streak with a astonishment triumph implicit the league leaders, but past suggests Celtic volition comfortably triumph this one, with the Bhoys having avoided decision successful each of the past 30 meetings.

Celtic Scottish Premiership form:

Celtic signifier (all competitions):

St Johnstone Scottish Premiership form:

Team News

© Imago

Celtic volition beryllium without the services of James Forrest (foot) and Odin Thiago Holm (calf) for this match, with neither expected to instrumentality from their respective injuries until adjacent month.

While the Bhoys secured a commanding 4-0 triumph successful their past game, Rodgers whitethorn determine to rotate the broadside fixed the wide of fixtures coming their mode successful the coming weeks, meaning the likes of Alex Valle, Luke McCowan and Luis Palma could start.

As for the visitors, Cameron MacPherson (hip), Sam McClelland (Achilles tendon) and Uche Ikpeazu are each acceptable to stay connected the sidelines until the caller twelvemonth with wounded issues.

Mackenzie Kirk has been successful blistery signifier for St Johnstone contempt their mediocre tally of results successful caller games, with the striker netting 4 successful his past six appearances, and helium is definite to commencement successful onslaught here.

Celtic imaginable starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Ralston, Welsh, Scales, Valle; Hatate, McGregor, McCowan; Palma, Idah, Maeda

We say: Celtic 3-0 St Johnstone

ID:561532:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect11527:

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's regular email of previews and predictions for each large game!