Aiming to return to to winning ways after back-to-back stalemates, Celtic will travel to Fir Park to face Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership.
The visitors sit first in the table with 22 points from eight outings, while the hosts are fifth in the standings with 13 points from their first eight league fixtures.
Match preview
© Imago
After starting the campaign in remarkable form by winning all of their first nine matches across all competitions, as well as keeping clean sheets in all of their first six league games, Celtic have hit a rough patch in comparison in recent outings.
The Bhoys suffered a humiliating 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in their 10th game of the campaign, leading to major criticism of Brendan Rodgers's refusal to change from his open style of play.
They did initially bounce back with a late 2-1 win against Ross County, scoring in the 76th and 88th minutes to turn the game on its head after initially falling behind, before drawing 2-2 with fellow unbeaten side Aberdeen, with Celtic deploying their familiar open tactics in both outings.
There would have been concerns from Celtic fans heading into their matchup with Atalanta in the Champions League, fearful of another disgraceful defeat, but Rodgers seemingly acknowledged the previous criticism as the Bhoys produced a defensive masterclass to shutout the Italians, achieving their first away clean sheet in Europe in seven years.
Now turning their attention back to the Scottish Premiership, Celtic will be looking to get back to winning ways after two consecutive draws when they travel to face Motherwell, a side they have defeated in each of their last nine visits to Fir Park.
The hosts have also enjoyed a largely positive start to their 2024-25 campaign, sitting fifth in the table with 13 points after eight matches, from four wins, one draw and three losses.
Having started the campaign with a draw and defeat in their opening two matches, Stuart Kettlewell would have been delighted with the response of his side in the following games, winning four of the following five outings, only losing to Aberdeen in that time.
That form has also been apparent in the Scottish League Cup, with the Steelmen advancing into the semi-finals with a tie against Rangers after beating Dundee United and Kilmarnock in the previous rounds.
However, Kettlewell's side were underwhelming in their recent 1-0 defeat to Dundee, and the manager will be looking for an improved performance as they aim to avoid a second consecutive loss when they take on the league leaders on Sunday.
Team News
![Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell during the Premier Sports Cup Group G match at Fir Park against Partick Thistle on 28/07/2024[on August 1, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/31/stuart-kettlewell.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell during the Premier Sports Cup Group G match at Fir Park against Partick Thistle on 28/07/2024[on August 1, 2024]")
© Imago
The hosts are carrying a number of injuries into this match, with up to six players set to miss out as Callum Slattery, Harry Paton, Jack Vale, Paul McGinn, Ross Callachan and Sam Nicholson continue their recoveries.
Kettlewell made two changes at halftime during their 1-0 defeat to Dundee after a disappointing first 45 minutes, and although they could not find the equaliser, an improved second-half performance might lead the manager to field a similar lineup here.
As for Celtic, Cameron Carter-Vickers is a doubt for this match as he continues his recovery from an injury that has kept him sidelined since late September, while Greg Taylor is not likely to return for a number of weeks.
Elsewhere, a phenomenal performance in their 0-0 draw with Atalanta during the midweek could see Rodgers decide to name the same starting team here, with Adam Idah continuing to lead the line.
Motherwell possible starting lineup:
Oxborough; Balmer, Gordon, Casey; O'Donnell, Miller, Zdravkovski, Maswanhise, Wilson; Ebiye, Watt
Celtic possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Johnston, Trusty, Scales, Valle; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Idah, Maeda
We say: Motherwell 0-3 Celtic
Motherwell may be enjoying a strong start to their season, but Celtic have been unbeatable in the league so far, and with their confidence high following a superb display against Atalanta, we believe they will win this one comfortably.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
