Celtic will be eager to regain their winning form in the Scottish Premiership as they face Motherwell at Fir Park, looking to put an end to a two-game streak of draws.
Currently, Celtic sits strong with 22 points from their eight league matches, while Motherwell holds a respectable 13 points from the same number of games. Celtic’s early season success seemed unstoppable as they achieved nine consecutive victories across all competitions, including six back-to-back clean-sheet wins in the Premiership. However, their recent form has slightly faltered.
The turning point came during their tenth match, where Celtic was handed a harsh 7-1 defeat by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Manager Brendan Rodgers faced criticism for persisting with certain tactical approaches, labeled as “Kangaroo tactics” by critics. In response, Celtic managed a thrilling comeback against Ross County, overturning a 1-0 deficit with two late goals to secure a 2-1 victory. They followed this up with a 2-2 draw against Aberdeen, exhibiting their characteristic attacking style but unable to secure all three points.
Ahead of their next European match against Atalanta, Celtic fans feared another heavy defeat, but Rodgers made adjustments that saw his team deliver a defensive masterclass. This resilience resulted in Celtic’s first clean sheet in European away fixtures in seven years, a welcome change in their Champions League campaign.
Now returning to Premiership action, Celtic aims to maintain their dominance over Motherwell, a team they’ve historically bested at Fir Park in their last eight encounters.
Motherwell, on the other hand, has started the 2024-25 season impressively, securing four wins, a draw, and three losses, placing them fifth in the table with 13 points. Manager Stuart Kettlewell has been instrumental in revamping their season following a slow start with a draw and a loss in the first two fixtures. Since then, they’ve won four of their subsequent five matches, with their only defeat coming against Aberdeen.
Motherwell’s positive momentum has extended to cup competitions, where they defeated Kilmarnock and Dundee United to advance to the Scottish League Cup quarterfinals, setting up an exciting clash with Rangers. However, in their latest league outing, Motherwell suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Dundee. Kettlewell’s side appeared off form, with lackluster performance in the first half that prompted two halftime substitutions. Despite a stronger second half, they couldn’t find an equalizer. Kettlewell will likely take some inspiration from that half as he prepares his squad for Sunday’s game against the reigning league leaders.
In terms of team news, Celtic faces a few injury concerns. Greg Taylor is expected to remain sidelined for a few more weeks, and Cameron Carter-Vickers is doubtful as he recovers from an injury sustained in late September. Motherwell, meanwhile, will be looking to sharpen their game plan as they seek to avoid consecutive losses and produce a performance that matches their promising early-season form.
With both teams showing determination, Sunday’s fixture promises to be a closely contested match at Fir Park, where Motherwell will aim to defend their ground against a Celtic side looking to reassert its dominance in the Premiership.