Celtic currently sit top of the Scottish Premiership, and that is something they will be looking to maintain on Sunday when they travel to Easter Road to play against Hibernian.

The Hoops will be hoping to respond from being knocked out of the Europa Conference League, while the Hibees shall be attempting to win their third match on the bounce.

Match preview

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Jake Doyle-Hayes scored a second-half brace last weekend to secure a 2-0 victory against Ross County, which brought an end to a six-match run in the league without a victory for Hibernian.

That poor run of form is something that the squad will be hoping to put behind them as much as possible, with the club looking to end the season on a high in order to finish strong.

The Hibees currently find themselves fourth in the table, but a defeat could see them slip down to ninth place depending on other results, showcasing the need for another result this weekend.

Hibernian have had mixed results at home this season, winning six times and losing five, while also picking up three draws, and some more consistency in front of their fans is something they will be looking for.

The two teams have already met three times across this campaign, including the Scottish League Cup final, and every time it has been Celtic who have come away with a victory, which Shaun Maloney will no doubt want to get some revenge on.

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The Hoops have been dominant on the road though, which could make life difficult for the Hibees, as no team have a better record away from home than Ange Postecoglou's men, winning 10 of their 14 encounters.

However, the squad have suffered two defeats in their previous three matches, being beaten twice by Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League, which has resulted in them being knocked out of the competition.

Despite that, the Hoops remained strong in the Scottish Premiership during their match in between those ties, defeating Dundee in a five-goal thriller that saw Giorgos Giakoumakis scoring a hat-trick to ensure they won 3-2.

The result kept them top of the league, but with only three points separating them and Rangers, there is pressure on the squad to continue picking up victories on a regular basis.

Celtic are enjoying a 21-match run without a defeat in the division at the moment, having not lost since September, which brings a lot of confidence to the group heading into this game.

Team News

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Maloney has confirmed that Ryan Porteous is set to be involved again for Hibernian this weekend, despite a police investigation taking place right now into a group of people stealing a wreath, which he has been linked with.

Fresh from scoring a brace, Doyle-Hayes will likely keep his place in the starting lineup, while Demetri Mitchell, Harry Clarke and Kyle Magennis are all out of action.

Hibees could also be missing Paul Hanlon, Paul McGinn and Joe Newell are also doubts heading into Sunday's fixture, which could see more changes take place to the team.

Giakoumakis will likely lead the line again on Sunday as he hopes to follow up from the three goals he scored in their last Scottish Premiership fixture.

Callum McGregor could find himself back into the team at the weekend after being brought back to the bench in midweek, while Nir Bitton was put into the starting XI in that match as well.

Hibernian possible starting lineup:
Macey; Bushiri, Porteous, Stevenson; Cadden, Doyle-Hayes, Campbell, Doig; Henderson, Jasper; Nisbet

Celtic possible starting lineup:
Hart; Ralston, Welsh, Starfelt, Scales; O'Riley, Bitton, McGregor; Forrest, Maeda, Giakmoumakis

We say: Hibernian 1-3 Celtic

Hibernian were able to get back to winning ways last weekend, but this is going to be a difficult test in order for them to continue performing at the highest level.

Celtic are enjoying a lengthy run of victories right now in the league, and that is something that will likely continue this weekend as they look to put their European defeat behind them.

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