Celtic vs Hearts Prediction: Celtic will dominate again

After a disheartening loss last weekend, Celtic aims to solidify their position at the top of the Scottish Premiership table this Saturday as they host Hearts at Celtic Park. The defending champions faced their initial league defeat against Kilmarnock in their previous outing. However, they enter the weekend with a boost of confidence following a triumph over Feyenoord, concluding their Champions League group stage campaign on a positive note.

Celtic is poised to resume league action in Glasgow this Saturday, aiming to recover from their first setback of the season suffered last weekend. Under the management of Brendan Rodgers, the team had an impressive start to their latest Scottish Premiership title defense. They remained unbeaten in their first 16 matches, only dropping points on three occasions, and accumulated 42 points. During this period, they scored a league-high of 42 goals while conceding just 10.

Heading into the match against Kilmarnock, Celtic had secured convincing victories over St Johnstone (3-1) and Hibernian (4-1). Despite taking the lead through Matt O'Riley in the 30th minute at Rugby Park, a Nat Phillips own goal leveled the score 15 minutes from time, and Matty Kennedy secured a shock defeat for Celtic with the winner three minutes from the end. This result narrowed their lead over title rivals Rangers to five points.

However, Celtic gained a renewed sense of confidence after ending their unsuccessful Champions League campaign on a high note. In a Wednesday match against Feyenoord, they secured a 2-1 victory with Gustaf Lagerbielke netting the winner in injury time after Kyogo Furuhashi had put them ahead in the first half.

With their focus now fully on defending their title, Celtic aims to swiftly return to winning ways in the Scottish top flight this Saturday. This effort is crucial to prevent their rivals from closing the gap in the standings in the weeks leading up to a significant Old Firm Derby at the end of the year.

Hearts, facing a challenging campaign, aim to rebound from a recent defeat as they go up against Celtic. Currently positioned sixth in the Scottish Premiership with 23 points from 16 matches, the Edinburgh outfit has struggled, especially in the attacking department, with only the bottom two teams netting fewer than their 15 goals. Despite a promising start with three consecutive wins against Motherwell, St Johnstone, and Kilmarnock, they now face a formidable challenge after back-to-back defeats.

Their winning streak came to an end with a 1-0 home loss to Rangers, where Abdallah Sima's first-half goal made the difference. Subsequently, in a match against strugglers Aberdeen, despite taking the lead in the first half through Lawrence Shankland, they were pegged back by a Bojan Miovski equalizer, and Leighton Clarkson scored a 92nd-minute winner for the hosts, leaving Hearts empty-handed.

While Hearts remain just two points off the third spot in the Scottish Premiership with a game in hand over the teams above them, they confront another tough test on Saturday. Desperate to avoid a third consecutive defeat, they will be seeking a positive result against Celtic.

Brendan Rodgers, currently facing significant pressure as Celtic manager, recently achieved a crucial home win in the UEFA Champions League, providing a much-needed boost. With their focus now solely on domestic action, Rodgers hopes his players can capitalize on this momentum. On the other hand, Hearts are competing for continental qualification but have faced setbacks, losing their last two games. The prospects of breaking this trend seem challenging, especially considering their track record against Celtic, having lost the last 10 encounters.

In light of these factors, we anticipate the home side to secure a multi-goal victory with both teams finding the net.