Celtic were back to winning ways on Wednesday night as they clinched a commanding 2-0 win against St. Mirren after a nervy first half. The Hoops still have a three-point lead over Rangers at the top of the Premiership standings, but Ange Postecoglou must overcome the Livingston hoodoo on Sunday lunchtime having failed to beat David Martindale’s men in previous meetings.
Livi, meanwhile, clinched a stunning 1-0 win last time when these two sides locked horns at Almondvale earlier this campaign. The Parkhead fixture ended in a stalemate and the Bhoys, therefore, must step up their game to avoid a setback en route to reconquering the Scottish crown.
Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Livingston
Defence
Joe Hart was hardly tested between the sticks while claiming back to back clean sheets against Hibernian and St. Mirren. He should aim for another one this weekend, however, the in-form hosts might ask him a few questions at the ‘Spaghettihad’.
Cameron Carter-Vickers and carl Starfelt are the preferred central defensive pairing so far this term. The pair must retain the roles and stay focused against Livingston’s swift counter-attacks. Josip Juranovic offers more balance down the right compared to Anthony Ralston. The Croatian is likely to get the nod once more, so is Greg Taylor who has been their first-choice left fullback since Kieran Tierney’s departure.
Midfield
Although David Turnbull is still recovering from a long injury layoff, Celtic are no short of options in the middle of the park. Skipper Callum McGregor is the assured starter due to his experience, vision and ability to drive the show as a deep-lying playmaker. Tom Rogic, with all his creative spark, should return to the starting XI ahead of Matt O’Riley whereas Reo Hatate is expected to operate in a box-to-box role similar to his previous outings.
Attack
Kyogo Furuhashi’s injury absence remains a major concern for the Bhoys high up the pitch. The Japanese centre-forward has been a revelation since his low-key transfer last summer and his compatriot Daizen Maeda needs to show more consistency while spearheading the attack. Liel Abada looked underwhelming versus the Buddies, but the Israeli winger holds all the attributes to make a difference with his swift footwork and finishing. Filipe Jota has been majestic down the left and his flair from the wing might cause menace in the Livi defence. James Forrest and Giorgos Giakoumakis should be introduced at some stage even though the latter has missed the last two games through illness.
