Celtic will seek to bounce back from their recent Champions League heartbreak as they travel to Edinburgh's Easter Road Stadium this Saturday to face Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership. After narrowly missing out on progressing against Bayern Munich, where Celtic suffered a gut-wrenching last-minute equalizer to lose 3-2 on aggregate, Brendan Rodgers' team is now focused on continuing their successful domestic campaign.
With only 12 league matches left to play, Celtic maintains a commanding 13-point lead over their closest rivals, Rangers. The Bhoys are fresh off securing another comfortable 3-0 victory against Dundee United, showcasing their ability to score goals with confidence. Callum McGregor and Jota were instrumental, both netting early goals, followed by Adam Idah sealing the win late on.
On the other hand, Hibernian is on the rise after showing resilience with an unbeaten streak of 11 matches since their last league meeting against Celtic. That match, which ended with Hibernian suffering a 3-0 loss at Celtic Park, remains fresh in the minds of their players. Nevertheless, David Gray's squad hopes to carry their momentum at home, believing they can inflict another defeat on the league leaders.
Historically, Celtic has dominated the head-to-head matchups, winning four of the last five encounters. The average number of goals scored per match between these teams is 3.4, indicating high-scoring games—something fans can eagerly anticipate.
For this match, both teams come with their unique set of challenges. Hibernian will be missing key players, including Alasana Manneh due to suspension and Hyeokkyu Kwon, who is unavailable to play against his parent club. Coach Gray has expressed optimism about several players rejoining the squad; Joe Newell is inching closer to fitness after training this week, though late decisions will be made on both him and Marvin Ekpiteta.
Meanwhile, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is grappling with issues of his own; the Bhoys remain without winger James Forrest, still recovering from his foot injury. Midfielder Paulo Bernardo is also sidelined with an ankle problem, limiting Rodgers' arsenal as they strive to maintain their league form.
The match will kick off at 12:30 PM GMT and is available for fans on Premier Sports 2 for those watching from the UK, with options also available for streaming on the Premier Sports Player. Fans tuning in from the United States can catch the live action on CBS Sports Network or stream via Fubo, which offers new subscribers the opportunity for trials.
Celtic's recent form, particularly their attacking prowess, has seen them net at least three goals consistently, making Hibernian's defensive setup pivotal if they hope to challenge the league leaders. Celtic's recent statistics have shown they fall back on their strong record on the road, remaining undefeated against Hibs during their last two visits, winning each by considerable margins.
Despite Hibernian’s strong performances at home this season, the unflattering head-to-head record against Celtic serves as sobering reality for the Hibee fans. With the excitement from Hibernian's unbeaten run of 10 games still ringing, their hopes are fueled as they aim to climb up the Premiership standings to potentially fourth if they can claim the victory. The home side will look to turn the tides and break their winless streak against Celtic, challenging the conditions of the pitch, their formidable opponents, and their own historical limitations.
Prediction-wise, many analysts are leaning heavily toward Celtic to secure the win, largely due to their recent successes and effective strategies on the pitch. Experts suggest the expected score might result in Hibernian 1-3 Celtic, but with unpredictable football games, anything is possible.
This highly anticipated clash is bound to thrill fans as two sides with contrasting goals collide—the league leaders aiming to maintain their dominance, and the challengers striving to disrupt the status quo.