After a fortnight where eleven Celts headed out on international duty, the domestic action returns this weekend as the league leaders battle it out in the East End of Glasgow. With Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen the only team in UEFA’s top 50 ranked leagues to still boast a 100% winning record in all competitions (13 in total), and Celtic yet to drop points domestically, something will give. At Last Word on Football, we provide our Celtic predicted lineup for Saturday afternoon.
Celtic Predicted Lineup vs Aberdeen
How Celtic have Lined Up Recently
Kasper Schmeichel has excelled between the sticks, showing excellent composure on the ball and conceding just one league goal.
Alastair Johnson and Liam Scales have been consistent starters, meanwhile, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Greg Taylor have had their injury issues to deal with.
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Last time out, Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate, and Arne Engels started, with Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo coming off the bench. We may see something similar on Saturday.
Up front, Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah have shared the minutes; this weekend we will likely see the twenty-nine-year-old return to action. While Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda have been first-choice wingers, Luis Palma and James Forrest have impacted from the bench.
Celtic’s Recent Form and Tactics
Football has a funny way of humbling; the tide can change ever so fast. Celtic don’t need to be told this. After a run of three wins including 16 goals, plus a 5-1 win in the opening Champions League tie, the hoops headed into the Dortmund full of confidence. They sat top of the SPL, second in the Champions League, and “Brendan Rodgers, we have heard you calling in the night” was sung in unison from the stands.
In Germany though, they shipped seven goals to last year’s Champions League finalists, in a humiliating night for Scottish football. Fast forward to the weekend, they were trailing by a goal to nil at Ross County, with just fifteen minutes to play.
A slice of fortune came Johnson’s way for the equaliser, then he set up Kuhn for a late winner. The Champions escaped and remained untouched on the domestic scene. They had shown a different quality: resilience. A quality that hadn’t been necessary earlier in the season thanks to the complete ease which they were storming through games with. Brendan Rodgers credited this quality, claiming his squad had it in “bucket-loads”.
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A friendly away to Sligo Rovers ended with a 3-2 win, thanks to a Luis Palma hattrick. There were bright moments from youngsters such as Francis Turley and Sean McArdle, although Rodgers warned on the need to develop their physicality should they wish to make the jump.
Tactically, the next week will be fascinating. With such a poor midfield performance away to Dortmund, you would expect changes against Atalanta. Hatate will likely return, at the expense of who though?
McGregor is unlikely to be dropped, the 31-year-old captain was player of the month in August and is rarely rotated from the holding role. However, away to Dortmund his performance lacked awareness and composure, so improvements must be made on the European stage.
Therefore, it’s the two number eights. Either Engels or Bernardo will make way, while the latter has performed better, you would expect the Belgian to keep his place, as he continues to settle into the side.
Injuries to Consider
Carter-Vickers remains a doubt, with Taylor the only confirmed absentee. Apart from that it is a clean bill of health.
Celtic Predicted Lineup
Kasper Schmeichel
Alistair Johnson
Auston Trusty
Liam Scales
Alex Valle
Callum McGregor
Arne Engels
Reo Hatate
Nicolas Kuhn
Kyogo
Daizen Maeda
