Despite being the superior force, Celtic once again settled for a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in their most recent Champions League game. They are now eliminated from Europe with a bottom-placed finish, but the four-point cushion at the top of the Premiership standings must motivate the Bhoys before locking horns with Livingston at The Spaghettihad.
A last-gasp equalizer from John Lundstram denied David Martindale’s men a famous Ibrox win last weekend. Celtic, too, have been troubled by Livi time and again, and therefore, might not find it a stroll in the park, particularly after an edgy 4-3 victory against Hearts at Tynecastle.
Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Livingston
Defence
Joe Hart has been the Celts’ ‘number 1’ since joining them last summer. They roped in Benjamin Siegrist on a Bosman to challenge and cover the Englishman, but the Swiss custodian has only featured in their League Cup fixtures.
Josip Juranovic and Greg Taylor must get the nod over Anthony Ralston and Alexandro Bernabei down the wide. Bernabei struggled against the Jambos last weekend, and so was Ralston while dealing with the counter-attacking threats. Both Juranovic and Taylor offer a balance between defence and attack, something the Hoops would require on Sunday lunchtime. Cameron Carter-Vickers, irreplaceable in the heart of the backline, is expected to be partnered with Moritz Jenz ahead of Stephen Welsh. Carl Starfelt is finally spotted in team training having recovered from his long-standing injury problem.
Midfield
Ange Postecoglou switched to a 4-4-2 versus Shakhtar Donetsk. However, the Aussie boss should opt for his usual 4-3-3 with Aaron Mooy likely to return to the starting XI. The veteran playmaker is showing his expertise as a ‘number 8’, whereas Matt O’Riley is still attuning to the deep-lying midfield role with skipper Callum McGregor sidelined until after the FIFA World Cup due to a knee injury. Reo Hatate loves to operate in a box-to-box role as he carries the ball forward from the deep and links up in the advanced areas of the pitch. Oliver Abildgaard, James McCarthy and the fit-again David Turnbull might get introduced at a later stage as second-half substitutes.
Attack
Celtic have ample wide attacking options in their ranks with Liel Abada, James Forrest, Daizen Maeda, Sead Haksabanovic and Filipe Jota challenging each other for the first-team role. The gaffer has rotated them extensively across competitions. Jota could be available for selection against Livingston if declared fit, but the likes of Forrest and Maeda might grab the starting status after coming on as second-half substitutes against the Ukrainian outfit. Giorgos Giakoumakis must spearhead the attack and continue his scoring streak.
