Celtic can strengthen their grip on the Scottish Premiership title when they face Kilmarnock on Wednesday at Celtic Park.

Gary Locke's side are also in need of the points to secure their status in the top division as they are lingering near the bottom of the table.

Celtic

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Ronny Deila's men are slowly edging towards the title as they sit top of the table five points clear of second-placed Aberdeen with seven matches remaining this season.

The top six teams have been set following last weekend's round of results and the Bhoys now know the opponents they will face in their final five matches of the campaign and their route to the league crown.

Deila has continued Celtic's dominance of Scottish football after an unsteady start to his reign as his side failed to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League, while they also suffered two early-season defeats to Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Hamilton Academical.

However, since their loss to Hamilton in October, Deila's men have dropped just 10 points in the league, and only five since the turn of the year.

The Bhoys have been extremely impressive at the back this season as they have conceded just 15 goals in the campaign, and they have only let in three in their last 14 matches.

Stefan Johansen has been in excellent form in front of goal for Celtic as he has netted seven goals in his last 10 league games, while Kris Commons and Leigh Griffiths have also performed well this season with 12 goals each.

The Bhoys will be determined to get back to winning ways in the league before they turn their attention to the final of the Scottish Cup against Inverness on Sunday.

Recent form: DWWWWD
Recent form (all competitions): DWWWWD

Kilmarnock

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Killie's season has been one of peaks and troughs as they displayed consistency for collecting a string of good results in a row before going on a worse run of several straight defeats.

Locke's side are on a current run of three-straight losses in the Scottish Premiership following their narrow defeat at the hands of Aberdeen on Saturday.

The campaign started on high note for Kilmarnock as they recorded six victories in their opening 10 matches to keep pace with Celtic until the back end of October, before their defeat to the Bhoys sent them spiralling down the table.

Manager Allan Johnston decided to leave the club back in February after being incensed by the decision to sell Robbie Muirhead to Dundee United, bringing an end to his 20 months in charge of the club.

Locke brought stability to the team with an unbeaten run of six games during his spell as caretaker boss before the rot started again in their defeat to Ross County at the end of March. He now faces a big challenge on his hands after being named as Johnston's permanent successor.

Killie's defensive record ranks in the top half of the division as they have conceded 41 goals in their 32 matches, which has included eight clean sheets.

However, their struggles in front of goal have left them lingering above the relegation zone, in need of a few extra points to secure their top-flight status for next season.

Recent form: DDWLLL

Team News

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Deila could stick with an unchanged team for his side's clash on Wednesday, but with the Scottish Cup on the horizon he may opt to rest certain players.

Adam Matthews could come into the starting lineup after he was named on the bench in Celtic's 1-1 draw against Inverness on Saturday, while Commons and Anthony Stokes could also push for a recall.

Manuel Pascali could return to action for Killie after missing the last two matches through suspension and injury to take his place in the heart of the midfield.

Rory McKenzie and Lee Miller could also push for a place in the starting lineup following their substitute appearances in the 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen last time out.

Celtic possible starting lineup:
Gordon, Matthews, Van Dijk, Denayer, Izaguirre, Commons, Brown, Bitton, Armstrong, Johansen, Stokes.

Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
Samson, Clingan, Johnston, Obadeyi, Ashcroft, Slater, Pascali, Westlake, O'Hara, Magennis, Syme

Head To Head

Celtic have claimed victory twice already over Kilmarnock this season with 2-0 wins at Celtic Park and Rugby Park.

In the earlier meeting at Celtic Park goals from John Guidetti and Stefan Scepovic handed Deila's men the victory, while Scepovic was on target again in the second clash along with Emilio Izzaguire.

Celtic have dominated the fixture over the course of history as they have claimed 162 wins to Kilmarnock's 34, while 48 of the matches have ended in stalemates. The Bhoys have won the last nine meetings between the teams, while Killie's last league victory against Celtic came in 2010.

We say: Celtic 4-0 Kilmarnock

It's very hard to look past Celtic for this match despite their draw against Inverness last time out. The Bhoys have been dominant at home and have been rock solid at the back so they should not be tested by the Killie frontline.

It could be a matter of how wide the margin of victory will be for Deila's men give their opponents' recent level of form.

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