St Mirren V Celtic

A vital game for the travelling side. Already trailing Rangers by 4 points and barring a miracle, Rangers will have another 3 points today so anything other than a win and Celtic may as well concede the title race now. Their champions league hopes were all but dashed midweek when they lost 3 – 2 at home to Barca in an entertaining game. However the sloppiness of the goals conceded will be an area of concern for Celtic and I fully expect Gordan Strachan to have worked on it and we should see a better defensive display today. Celtic have won 8 times on the road this year and need that strong form to continue today.

Scott Brown is back in as well as Hinkel and their presence is a boost for Strachan.

St Mirren have already taken a draw at Parkhead this year but that may have came down to over confidence from the home side. They have conceded 22 goals at home this year, a feat only bettered by Gretna. In fact they have only scored 12, another stat on which they are close to lowly Gretna so home form is not their strongest point. Recent results have improved though and they are on the back of a three game unbeaten run but it will severely test them to keep that run going.

Verdict

I feel im rambling on a bit about Celtic but a win today is a must. There can be no room for complacency and the players know it. Im expecting a much better defensive display and I don’t think that if they take a 1 – 0 lead that they will be able to rest on it. I think they will push for a second to make the game safe and should cover the handicap. Maybe –1.25 just in case



Pick : away -1.25
Odds : 1.74
Stake : 9 / 10
Bookmaker : Mansion88
Match Result : 0-1
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