Celtic, aiming to further extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, are set to take on high-flying Dundee United at Celtic Park on Wednesday night.

The hosts are top of the table with 53 points from their opening 20 matches of the campaign, while the visitors are third in the standings with 34 points from 21 games.

Match preview

Celtic have enjoyed a phenomenal start to the 2024-25 season, sitting top of the Scottish Premiership table with a significant 13-point lead, on course to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League and already lifted the Scottish League Cup after beating Rangers on penalties in the final.

They initially won all of their first nine games of the campaign before suffering a humiliating 7-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, but Brendan Rodgers's side fantastically bounced back by remaining unbeaten in the following 18 outings, with five draws and 13 wins.

That run included a sensational Scottish League Cup final that saw Celtic and Rangers tussle for 120 minutes in a dramatic 3-3 draw before the Bhoys triumphed 5-4 on penalties to lift the first silverware of the season.

However, Celtic's unbeaten streak in domestic competitions was snapped just three games later when they faced Rangers once again, this time falling to a convincing 3-0 defeat as the Gers significantly outplayed the Bhoys.

For the second time this season, Celtic have been able to quickly bounce back from defeat, comfortably beating St Mirren 3-0 in their last outing, a result they will be aiming to build upon when they take on Dundee Utd on Wednesday.

The visitors may prove a sterner test than the Saints, though, with Dundee Utd heading into this matchup having enjoyed a sensational first half of the 2024-25 campaign.

The Tangerines suffered a shock relegation from the top flight in 2022-23 but instantly rebounded as they lifted the Scottish Championship title in 2023-24, earning promotion straight back into the Premiership.

Jim Goodwin's men have made a remarkable return to the top flight, currently sitting third in the table with 34 points from 21 matches, after nine wins, seven draws and five defeats.

They did endure a disappointing loss in their last outing, losing 1-0 to relegation-battling Hearts to bring an end to their three-game winning run, a defeat they will be eager to bounce back from here.

However, history is certainly against the visitors, with Dundee Utd having failed to record a victory against Celtic in any of the last 20 meetings across all competitions.

Team News

Celtic are set to continue without the services of both James Forrest and Odin Thiago Holm for this match due to injury issues, but both are likely to return later this month.

After bouncing back from their defeat to Rangers with a strong performance and 3-0 victory against St Mirren last time out, Rodgers could opt to name a similar starting team for this one.

As for the visitors, Craig Sibbald (groin) and Louis Moult (shoulder) are both unlikely to feature until later this month due to ongoing injury concerns.

Elsewhere, Goodwin could decide to make several changes to the side that underwhelmingly lost 1-0 to Hearts in their last match, although top scorer Sam Dalby is expected to keep his place in attack.

Celtic possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; McCowan, McGregor, Engels; Kuhn, Idah, Maeda

Dundee United possible starting lineup:
Walton; Adegboyega, Gallagher, Holt; Strain, Docherty, Fotheringham, Ferry; Middleton; Dalby, Thomson

We say: Celtic 2-1 Dundee United

The hosts have lost just one of their last 36 domestic matches, and while Dundee Utd are enjoying a strong season, Celtic are undoubtedly the favourites to secure the win here, and we expect them to do just that.


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