St Johnstone vs Celtic - prediction, team news, lineups

Newly-promoted St Johnstone invited Scottish Premiership champions Celtic to McDiarmid Park connected Wednesday night.

The hosts are seventh successful the standings with 7 points from 5 games, portion the visitors are apical of the array with 15 points from 5 fixtures.

Match preview

St Johnstone, pursuing their 2024-25 relegation, secured an contiguous instrumentality to the Scottish Premiership by winning the Championship past season. 

After securing wins successful their archetypal 2 Scottish League Cup games, Simo Valakari's broadside disappointingly failed to advancement into the adjacent round, with a gully and decision successful their last 2 matches meaning they finished 3rd successful Group F. 

The Saints have, however, managed to bounce backmost and grounds an encouraging commencement successful the Scottish Premiership, picking up 7 points from their archetypal 5 matches. 

St Johnstone person defeated Kilmarnock (4-3) and Hibernian (2-1), drawn with Dundee (1-1) and mislaid to some Hearts (2-1) and St Mirren (1-0). 

Those results permission the Saints sitting seventh successful the standings and already a steadfast 5 points supra the bottommost two, and Valakari volition beryllium hoping to support that pb and debar a relegation scrap this term. 

A astonishment triumph against the reigning champions would surely assistance those ambitions, and the Saints volition beryllium capable to gully assurance from their triumph against Hibs past clip out. 

Celtic are, however, the overwhelming favourites to assertion each 3 points astatine McDiarmid Park, particularly pursuing their flawless commencement to the caller league season. 

The Bhoys person won each of their archetypal 5 matches successful the league, scoring a league-high 13 goals and conceding a league-low 3 times during that period. 

While Celtic person been flawless successful home competition, having besides booked their spot successful the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals against Rangers, the Bhoys person endured disappointment successful Europe. 

Martin O'Neill's broadside managed to unafraid a 4-0 pb successful their Champions League playoff qualifying circular necktie against LASK, but a catastrophic illness saw Celtic concede 5 goals and yet clang retired 5-4 connected aggregate. 

Despite that heartbreak, Celtic person bounced backmost with 3 consecutive league triumphs, and O'Neill volition beryllium looking to marque it 4 consecutive wins connected Wednesday night. 

Celtic have, expectedly, historically dominated this fixture, though they did suffer 1-0 successful their past sojourn to McDiarmid Park successful the Scottish Premiership successful April 2025.

St Johnstone Scottish Premiership form:

St Johnstone signifier (all competitions):

Celtic Scottish Premiership form:

Celtic signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Jamie Gullan is St Johnstone's lone uncertainty owed to injury, with the midfielder improbable to diagnostic aft being forced disconnected 22 minutes into their triumph against Hibernian. 

Kai Fotheringham could regenerate Gullan connected the near flank, partnering Josh Fowler and Taylor Steven successful attack, portion the remainder of the squad should stay unchanged.

Celtic are contending with galore wounded concerns, including Callum Osmand, Kieran Tierney, Kasper Hogh, Alistair Johnston and Jota. 

Shim Mheuka could beryllium awarded his archetypal commencement since joining Celtic connected loan, with Sebastian Tounekti, Benjamin Nygren and Haissem Hassan perchance supporting successful attack.

St Johnstone imaginable starting lineup:

Steward; Smith, Mitchell, Diabate, Alic; Stanton, McAlear, Holt; Steven, Fowler, Fotheringham

Celtic imaginable starting lineup:

Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Scales; McGregor, Baur; Hassan, Nygren, Tounekti; Mheuka

We say: St Johnstone 0-3 Celtic

Celtic are undoubtedly the stronger squad connected insubstantial and volition beryllium expected to predominate this brushwood and widen their flawless commencement to the Scottish Premiership season.

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