Celtic made a commanding start to their title defence with a 2-0 win against Aberdeen last weekend. Unlike Rangers, the champions of Scotland have succeeded in keeping hold of their star performers so far this summer and the high-flying Hoops are aiming for another victory on Saturday afternoon versus Ross County at Victoria Park.
The Staggies suffered a 2-1 defeat against Hearts in the opening gameweek. They were outplayed by Celtic all throughout the previous term, but the tutelage of Malky Mackay helped them secure a sixth-place finish ahead of the heavyweights like Hibernian and Aberdeen. Nevertheless, the Dingwall-based outfit remain the underdogs and any outcome other than a defeat would be a massive upset early into this Premiership campaign.
Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Ross County
Defence
Joe Hart has retained the ‘number 1’ spot ahead of Benjamin Siegrist and the veteran Englishman would look to register another clean sheet after a comfortable outing against Aberdeen.
Injuries to Carl Starfelt and Moritz Jenz saw Stephen Welsh grabbing a starting status in deep defence alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers. The young Scotsman left his mark with an early goal versus the Dons and the Hoops chief Ange Postecoglou must rely on him once more in the upcoming encounter. Josip Juranovic has been exquisite down the right, also a balanced display has helped Greg Taylor cement the left-back spot since Kieran Tierney’s exit. Summer signing Alexandro Bernabei and academy graduate Anthony Ralston are also there to challenge and cover the fullback pair.
Midfield
The Celts have ample options in the centre of the pitch, but the gaffer is likely to stick to his preferred three-man midfield consisting of skipper Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley. McGregor pulls all the strings from his deep-lying playmaking role, whereas the exquisite Hatate has become a driving force since joining the Glasgow giants back in winter. The Japanese ace is a relentless runner, chief ball-carrier, as well as a creator with his box-to-box movements and swift footwork. He is attuning well to the physicality of the Scottish game and is expected to start again overcoming a minor knock that he picked up last Sunday. O’Riley, too, has been consistent with his vision and smart link-up play.
Attack
While the high work ethic of Daizen Maeda must be utilized from the left-hand flank, the flair and finesse of Filipe Jota could be the difference maker. The young Portuguese winger scored a stunning long-ranger versus Aberdeen, but Kyogo Furuhashi looked a bit underwhelming while spearheading the attack. We expect him to open the scoring account this Saturday given his prowess and precision high up the pitch.
