Celtic travel to Dens Park on Sunday aiming to keep pace with league leaders Hearts in what promises to be a crucial Scottish Premiership encounter.
The Bhoys trail the Edinburgh side and will be determined to maintain their unbeaten domestic record against a Dundee side struggling near the foot of the table.
With both teams returning from the international break, Brendan Rodgers’ side will look to build on their dramatic 3-2 victory over Motherwell, while Steven Pressley’s struggling Dundee desperately need points to climb away from the relegation zone.
Dundee FC vs Celtic – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Sunday, 19th October.
- Kick-off: 12pm BST.
- Venue: Dens Park, Dundee.
Dundee Team News
Steven Pressley faces a challenging task with his team sitting 11th in the Scottish Premiership table with just six points from eight matches. The Dark Blues have endured a difficult start to the campaign under their new manager, managing only one victory all season—a 3-2 home win against Livingston last month.
The Dens Park side will be looking to bounce back from their humiliating 4-0 defeat to Aberdeen at Pittodrie before the international break, a result that intensified scrutiny on Pressley. The manager held a “really productive meeting” with his players following that loss and remains confident his squad can produce a positive result against the champions.
Striker Simon Murray is available for selection. The experienced forward will be crucial to Dundee’s attacking hopes, though the hosts have struggled for goals all season, averaging just 0.75 per match and scoring only six times in eight league fixtures.
Pressley acknowledged the scale of the challenge, stating: “I’m very much aware of the challenge. Dundee haven’t won at Dens against Celtic in 37 years, so I think that brings some context to the challenge, but it’s one that myself and the players are certainly looking forward to. We believe that with the right preparation, with the right attitude and mindset, we can certainly get some form of result”.
Celtic Team News
Brendan Rodgers confirmed that Daizen Maeda will miss the trip to Dundee after sustaining a hamstring injury during Celtic’s last match against Motherwell. The Japanese forward felt discomfort late in that game and travelled with Japan during the international break, hoping to recover, but was unable to feature for his national team and will be assessed beyond this weekend.
In more positive news, Alistair Johnston has returned to training after missing nine games with a hamstring injury sustained in the Champions League qualifier against Kairat Almaty in August. The Canadian right-back has been participating in full training at Lennoxtown and Rodgers confirmed he is “hopefully good to go” for Sunday’s match, though whether he starts remains uncertain.
Portuguese midfielder Paulo Bernardo is a doubt after falling ill in recent days. Rodgers stated the club would monitor his condition in the 24 hours before the match before making a decision on his availability.
Celtic remain unbeaten in domestic competition this season with five wins and two draws from seven league fixtures, though they sit two points behind surprise package Hearts at the summit. The Bhoys boast the best defensive record in the division, having conceded just three goals all season.
Form
Dundee
Pressley’s side has endured a torrid start to the season with just one win from their opening eight matches. That solitary victory came at home against Livingston in September when they won 3-2. Since then, they have suffered back-to-back defeats to St. Mirren (0-1 away) and Aberdeen (0-4 away).
Their attacking struggles have been alarming, with the Dark Blues failing to score in four of their eight league matches and averaging less than one goal per game. Defensively, they have been equally vulnerable, shipping 13 goals—only newly-promoted Livingston has conceded more in the division.
The team’s passive tactical approach has drawn criticism from supporters, with fans calling for a more aggressive pressing style rather than the deep defensive setup that has characterised their performances.
Celtic
The reigning champions have shown resilience and quality despite some inconsistent performances this season. Their most recent league outing saw them secure a thrilling 3-2 victory over Motherwell at Celtic Park, with Maeda scoring a dramatic 92nd-minute header to seal all three points.
Before that, Celtic recorded important wins against Kilmarnock (2-1 away) and secured a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Partick Thistle in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final. However, goalless draws at home to both Hibernian and Rangers have prevented them from leading the table outright.
Rodgers’ side has struggled to find its rhythm in European competition, drawing 1-1 away to Red Star Belgrade before suffering a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Braga in the Europa League. The manager will be eager for his team to rediscover consistency as they face a demanding schedule of seven games in 21 days following this weekend.
Predicted Lineups
Dundee FC: McCracken; Astley, Graham, Robertson, Samuels; Congreve, Jones, Hamilton, Reilly; Hay, Murray
Celtic: Schmeichel; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; McCowan, McGregor, Hatate; Forrest, Iheanacho, Tounekti
How to Watch Dundee FC vs Celtic?
UK fans can watch the game live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra HDR.
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