Celtic were about to drop two massive points in the title race when it was going scoreless with Aberdeen at Pittodrie. But skipper Callum McGregor stepped in when it mattered the most as his stellar late strike ensured all three points on Saturday afternoon. The upbeat Hoops must regroup themselves now for the Wednesday night battle against Livingston.
Livi, under David Martindale, have troubled Celtic time and again in recent years. Although the champions of Scotland secured a commanding win at Almondvale in the reverse fixture, the West Lothian outfit would go at it once again even though the Celts hold a clear edge in their own backyard.
Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Livingston
Defence
Joe Hart was not at all tested last weekend by the Aberdeen attackers. The veteran custodian would be hoping for another comfortable occasion en route to grabbing back-to-back clean sheets following a few nervy performances prior to the World Cup break.
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt were the preferred central defensive pairing all throughout the previous campaign. They are back in business once again and the visitors, therefore, would find it extremely difficult to break the Bhoys’ defensive resilience. Anthony Ralston must keep his place on the right until Josip Juranovic reunites with the squad, whereas left fullback Greg Taylor is expected to get the nod over Alexandro Bernabei as the latter is yet to settle in Scotland. Moritz Jenz should continue as the understudy to Carter-Vickers and Starfelt in the heart of the backline, but the future looks uncertain for Stephen Welsh who is likely to leave on loan for regular gametime.
Midfield
Callum McGregor made all the difference versus the Dons in his first official appearance after a two-month injury spell. He must pull the strings from his ‘number 6’ role, and therefore, allow both Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate to make down-the-middle runs while scripting attacking transitions with box-to-box movements. David Turnbull and Aaron Mooy could be deployed at a later stage as second-half substitutes.
Attack
Kyogo Furuhashi was below par against Aberdeen. But his expertise as a ‘number 9’ should see him spearheading the attack. Liel Abada deserves a start down the right-hand flank, also the flair and finesse of Filipe Jota might cause menace in the Livi defence from the other wing. Giorgos Giakoumakis, Daizen Maeda, James Forrest and Sead Haksabanovic are also there and are capable of turning things around as ‘super subs’.
