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Celtic will get their title defense underway against St. Mirren at Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday. The hosts will play their first competitive match of the season, while the Buddies have played four games thus far.
The Bhoys played just one home game in the preseason and registered a 4-0 win over Newcastle United in that match last month. They were last in action in the Como Cup third-place playoffs, a friendly tournament, and defeated Al Ahli Saudi on penalties after the score ended 1-1 in regulation time.
The visitors participated in the group stage of the Scottish League Cup and finished atop the Group D table to book a place in the second round. They met Ayr United in their previous outing and recorded a 2-1 home win, thanks to a first-half brace from Killian Phillips.
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Celtic vs St. Mirren Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have a long-standing rivalry and have met 266 times in all competitions. As expected, the defending champions have been the dominant side in these meetings, recording 189 wins. The visitors have 34 wins, and 43 games have ended in draws.
- The Bhoys won their three regular-season meetings against the visitors, scoring 11 goals, and the Championship phase meeting ended in a draw.
- The Buddies are winless in this fixture since 2022.
- The visitors have won just one of their last five away games in the Premiership. They have conceded at least two goals in three games in that period.
- The defending champions have suffered just one defeat at home in the Premiership since December 2023, with that loss registered against Old Firm rivals Rangers in March.
- Five of the last six meetings between them have produced over 2.5 goals.
Celtic vs St. Mirren Prediction
The Hoops had concluded their 2024-25 league campaign on a six-game unbeaten streak, recording four wins. Notably, they had conceded one goal apiece in five games in that period.
Brendan Rodgers remains without the services of Jota, who is nursing a ligament injury last season. Kieran Tierney and Benjamin Nygren are in contention to make their competitive debut for the club.
The Saints concluded their 2024-25 league campaign on a six-game unbeaten streak, the same as the hosts. They had scored at least two goals in four games in that period. They head into the match on a three-game winning streak and will look to build on that form here.
Evan Mooney is back from an injury spell, while new signing Malik Dijksteel is in contention to start. Scott Tanser is a major doubt.
The Bhoys have won eight of their last 10 home games in this fixture, and considering their recent record against the visitors, we back the reigning champions to get their campaign underway with a comfortable win.
Prediction: Celtic 3-1 St. Mirren
Celtic vs St. Mirren Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Celtic to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: Both teams to score - Yes
Tip 4: At least one goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
