Celtic will endeavour to build on their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership when they welcome St Mirren to Parkhead on Wednesday night.
While the Hoops are unbeaten in each of their last eight home games across all competitions, the Buddies have only won one of their last 10 matches on the road.
Match preview
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Celtic have followed up their 2-2 draw in the Old Firm derby on January 2 with back-to-back 2-0 wins over Kilmarnock in the Premiership and Scottish League Cup respectively.
A strike from Jota and an Ash Taylor own goal wrapped up the three points in the league, before goals from Daizen Maeda and Giorgos Giakoumakis helped the Hoops come out on top at Hampden Park last weekend and progress to their seventh League Cup final in the last nine years.
A showdown with rivals Rangers awaits Celtic on February 26, but Ange Postecoglou's side now shift their focus back to the Premiership where they currently hold a nine-point lead over the Gers in second place.
Celtic, who have won the Premiership title in 10 of the last 11 seasons, head into Wednesday's contest having won each of their last 12 home league matches, scoring 40 goals in the process.
The Hoops have also lost only one of their last 30 games on home soil against St Mirren across all competitions, a 2-1 defeat in January 2021, so Postecoglou and co will be confident of claiming maximum points in front of their own fans.
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St Mirren's six-game unbeaten run in all tournaments came to an end last weekend when they suffered a slender 1-0 defeat away against Hearts.
Paisley-born midfielder Barrie McKay scored the only goal of the game midway through the first half to condemn the Buddies to their seventh league defeat of the campaign and their first defeat since November 5.
Stephen Robinson expressed his frustrations with VAR after the match, but he praised his side after what he thought was there "best 90 minutes of the season" so far. Nevertheless, St Mirren have slipped to sixth in the Premiership standings and could drop out of the top half if they lose to Celtic on Wednesday.
The Buddies face arguably their toughest test yet when they travel to Parkhead, but they can head to Glasgow with confidence as they are the only team to have beaten Postecoglou's side in the league so far this season.
Indeed, goals from Mark O'Hara and Jonah Ayunga helped secure an impressive 2-0 home triumph in September – ending Celtic's 38-game unbeaten league run in the process – and they will look to record successive wins over the Hoops for the first time since April 1978 under former manager Sir Alex Ferguson when they lock horns on Wednesday.
Team News
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Celtic quartet Sead Haksabanovic (foot), James McCarthy (hamstring), Anthony Ralston (back) and Stephen Welsh (knock) all retuned to training over the weekend after spells out with injury and will all be assessed ahead of Wednesday's clash.
However, Greg Taylor remains sidelined with a hamstring problem, so Alexandro Bernabei is expected to retain his place at left-back.
January addition Tomoki Iwata could be in contention to make his debut, although the midfielder faces stern competition from Callum McGregor, Aaron Mooy, Reo Hatate, Matt O'Riley and David Turnbull for a starting berth.
Fellow winter-window signing Yuki Kobayashi is also hoping to make his debut after watching on as an unused substitute in the last three matches, and the centre-back will be hoping to force his way into the first XI ahead of either Cameron Carter-Vickers or Carl Starfelt.
As for St Mirren, Marcus Fraser will serve the final game of his two-match ban on Wednesday, but Charles Dunne and Ethan Erhahon are available to return from their respective suspensions.
O'Hara was forced off midway through the first half against Hearts with an injury and is doubtful for Wednesday, while Ryan Strain and Richard Tait may also miss out through injury.
Ayunga, Eamonn Brophy and Greg Kiltie, who all began on the bench last time out, will be hoping for a recall to the first XI against Celtic.
Celtic possible starting lineup:
Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Bernabei; O'Riley, McGregor, Hatate; Jota, Furuhashi, Maeda
St Mirren possible starting lineup:
Carson; Gallagher, Shaughnessy, Dunne; Flynn, Baccus, Gogic, Tanser; Kiltie; Brophy, Main
We say: Celtic 3-0 St Mirren
Despite losing out to St Mirren in the reverse fixture earlier this season, Celtic will be regarded as firm favourites to claim maximum points on Wednesday considering their form heading into this fixture.
The Hoops have been scoring goals for fun on home soil in recent months and we expect them to have more joy in the final third against a Buddies outfit who have kept only one clean sheet in their last 10 matches.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
