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St Mirren logo
Scottish Premiership | Gameweek 19
Dec 22, 2021 at 7.45pm UK
St Mirren Park
Celtic logo

St Mirren
0 - 0
Celtic


Tanser (18'), Offord (39')
FT

Welsh (33'), Rogic (64')

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

Sports Mole previews Wednesday's Scottish Premiership clash between St Mirren and Celtic, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Two teams at opposite ends of the SPL table will compete on Wednesday as second-placed Celtic will travel to face St Mirren, who sit just three points above the relegation zone.

The Hoops head into this match after winning the Scottish League Cup at the weekend; meanwhile, the hosts have failed to win in their previous nine matches.


Match preview

Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi pictured on September 30, 2021© Reuters

Kyogo Furuhashi was the hero on Sunday as his second-half brace brought Celtic from behind to defeat Hibernian and claim the first available silverware of the season as they became the Scottish League Cup champions.

The victory was the seventh in a row for the squad, who have been dominant as of late, with the club now hoping to extend that run in order to maintain their pressure on Rangers at the top of the table.

Right now, there are seven points separating the Old Firm rivals, but with this being the game in hand for the Hoops, there is real importance on this fixture.

Ange Postecoglou's side have been dominant both offensively and defensively this season, with only Rangers scoring more goals, while no team have conceded fewer than them.

They have also been able to make Celtic Park a fortress throughout their campaign, having not lost at home throughout 2021-22, yet on the road, the squad have lost three times.

St Mirren boss Jim Goodwin pictured on August 9, 2020© Reuters

The hosts will need a much-improved performance in order to have any hope of taking points on Wednesday as they are suffering from a nine-game run without a win.

The Buddies have only won a single game at home this season, which is not a positive situation ahead of this match, but adding a second victory in front of their fans against Celtic could turn their season around.

Joe Shaughnessy was able to score an 87th-minute goal last weekend during their most recent outing which did rescue a point for his team in a 1-1 draw against Hibernian.

However, Jim Goodwin's team have conceded 29 times this season, with only two squads in the league boasting a weaker record than them, and their defensive abilities will be tested against the Hoops.

They failed to stand up to their opponents when the two competed earlier this season as Celtic ended up winning 6-0 in a match St Mirren would rather forget.

With just three points separating them and the relegation zone right now, there is a lot on the line in this match as a defeat could see them slump down.

St Mirren Scottish Premiership form:
  • D
  • D
  • L
  • D
  • L
  • D

St Mirren form (all competitions):
  • D
  • D
  • L
  • D
  • L
  • D

Celtic Scottish Premiership form:
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W

Celtic form (all competitions):
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W



Team News

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou gestures on September 30, 2021© Reuters

Conor McCarthy is the only major injury concern for St Mirren heading into this match, with the central defender dealing with an ankle issue at the moment.

After being sent off during their most recent league game, Carl Starfelt will be unavailable for Celtic in this match due to suspension which will force a change in the backline for the team.

James Forrest was unable to return to the squad and David Turnbull ended up being added to the injury list at the weekend when he had to be replaced due to a hamstring issue.

However, the Hoops were boosted by Furuhashi being fit enough to play on Sunday which added a lot to the attacking options of the team and after scoring a brace in the final, he will be keen to add to his personal tally.

St Mirren possible starting lineup:
Alnwick; Shaughnessy, Dunne, Fraser; Millar, Flynn, Power, Tanser; McGrath, Kiltie; Main

Celtic possible starting lineup:
Hart; Taylor, Scales, Carter-Vickers, Juranovic; McGregor, Johnston, Rogic, Abada, Bitton; Furuhashi


SM words green background

We say: St Mirren 0-3 Celtic

Celtic are enjoying a fantastic run at the moment and coming off a cup final victory, they should have no shortage of confidence and momentum right now.

With St Mirren struggling as of late, this should be a routine victory for the Hoops, who will be looking to place the pressure back on Rangers.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Away Win:data



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Written by
Matthew Wilkinson

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Celtic win with a probability of 57.49%. A draw had a probability of 22.5% and a win for St Mirren had a probability of 19.97%.

The most likely scoreline for a Celtic win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.74%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (9.95%) and 1-2 (9.9%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (10.68%), while for a St Mirren win it was 1-0 (5.77%). The actual scoreline of 0-0 was predicted with a 5.8% likelihood.


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Game History

How you voted: St Mirren vs Celtic

St Mirren
4.2%
Draw
6.3%
Celtic
89.6%
48
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rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Celtic1614204444044
2RangersRangers1611232891935
3Aberdeen17104331211034
4Motherwell178272327-426
5Dundee UnitedDundee Utd176742519625
6St Mirren187382429-524
7Dundee175482730-319
8Hibernian184682430-618
9Kilmarnock184681935-1618
10Hearts1844102027-716
11Ross County183691435-2115
12St Johnstone1842122134-1314


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