Motherwell host Celtic this Sunday, October 11, in Matchday 8 of the Scottish Premiership. The home side currently sit ninth with eight points from seven matches, recording two wins, two draws, and three defeats.
Meanwhile, Martin O’Neill’s side have lost only one match, in the most recent Old Firm Derby against Rangers, when they suffered a 0-1 defeat.
The Hoops sit second in the standings with 18 points, but they have a game in hand over league leaders Rangers, who have 19 points. Celtic have recorded six wins and one defeat in their seven matches so far.
Motherwell vs. Celtic: Team News & Starting Lineups
Motherwell could be without Callum Hendry, Johnny Koutroumbis, Jordan McGhee, Paul McGinn, and Oscar Priestman due to injury problems, according to SportsMole.
Meanwhile, Celtic are expected to miss Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand, and Jota due to injuries, while Benjamin Nygren is a doubt with a virus.
After the three-man center-back system failed against Rangers, Martin O’Neill plans to return to a classic 4-3-3 with a back four, according to Football Insider.
Motherwell’s predicted starting XI vs. Celtic: Paulsen; Sparrow, Girdwood-Reich, Moormann, Longelo; Fadinger, Hodge; Maswanhise, Lowry, Vogt; Charles-Cook.
Celtic’s predicted starting XI vs. Motherwell: Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Tierney; McGregor, Baur; Hassan, Tounekti, Duran; Hogh.
Motherwell vs. Celtic: Teams Form & Latest Results
The home side will try to capitalize on Celtic’s poor form and low morale heading into this match. Despite having just one defeat in the current league campaign, Celtic have lost their last three matches across three different competitions: the Scottish League Cup, the Scottish Premiership, and the UEFA Europa League.
In their most recent match, they lost 0-1 to Rangers on September 20, following a 1-3 defeat to Ferencváros on September 17. Before that, they lost 3-0 to Rangers in the League Cup, which eliminated them in the quarterfinals. On September 9, they defeated Saint Johnstone 1-0, while on September 5, they beat Saint Mirren 2-1.
This run of results even raised questions about head coach Martin O’Neill’s future, with reports suggesting that he could resign. The manager confirmed he had considered it but ultimately decided to stay, as the board continued to back him and he believes he still has the energy and ability to move the project forward.
Meanwhile, Motherwell have also suffered three consecutive defeats in their recent matches. They lost 1-2 to Dundee FC on September 19 after suffering a 0-4 defeat to Aberdeen on September 15. On September 5, they lost 0-1 to Rangers after beating Dundee United 3-0 on September 2. Before that, they drew 3-3 with Saint Mirren on August 30.
Motherwell vs. Celtic Lineup Today: Confirmed Team News & Starting XI