Celtic vs Motherwell Prediction: An important one for the host

The reigning champions, Celtic, aim to further solidify their position at the summit of the Scottish Premiership table as they host Motherwell at Celtic Park this Saturday afternoon. On the other hand, the visitors are eager to halt their winless streak, which currently stands at nine matches, by causing a significant upset in Glasgow.

Celtic headed into the international break with a strong performance, securing a commanding 6-0 victory over Aberdeen at home. This resounding win served as a powerful response to their significant 6-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League a few days earlier. While leading by two goals in the first half with strikes from Yang Hyun-Jun and Kyogo Furuhashi, Celtic added a flurry of late goals from Luis Palma, David Turnbull, and Oh Hyeon-gyu (2) to secure their 11th league win of the season.

Under Brendan Rodgers, Celtic comfortably lead the Scottish Premiership with 34 points from 38 possible, and a win on Saturday could extend their lead to 11 points over the nearest rivals, Rangers, although the latter will have two games in hand.

Celtic's home dominance is evident as they extended their unbeaten league run at Parkhead to an impressive 50 matches. The last top-flight defeat on their home soil was against St Mirren in January 2021. In the previous encounters with Motherwell during this streak, Celtic emerged victorious four times, but Motherwell managed to secure a draw in their last visit in April, resulting in a 1-1 scoreline.

Motherwell faced disappointment in their last outing before the international break, suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Hearts. Despite Blair Spittal converting from the penalty spot for his fourth goal of the season and pulling one back after Lawrence Shankland's second goal for Hearts, Motherwell couldn't find an equalizer in the closing stages.

Stuart Kettlewell is now under pressure to reverse Motherwell's recent struggles, as they find themselves in eighth place in the Scottish Premiership table. They are just two points above the relegation zone and five points behind fourth-placed Hearts, who have a game in hand. Motherwell's upcoming fixtures against Dundee, Ross County, and St Johnstone in December provide an opportunity for a turnaround, but their immediate focus is on a challenging trip to Celtic.

Motherwell's historical record against Celtic is daunting, as they haven't managed to beat them in their last 29 meetings, dating back to December 2015 when they secured a 2-1 victory at Celtic Park.

Predicting anything other than a Celtic victory in this matchup seems challenging, especially considering Motherwell's recent form. While the 0-0 draws against St Johnstone and Hibernian earlier this season might offer a glimmer of hope, Motherwell's struggles heading into this fixture are evident.

Facing a rampant Celtic side that has already scored 34 league goals in 13 matches this season, it is likely that Motherwell will find it difficult to contain the Hoops on their home turf at Parkhead. The odds are heavily in favor of Celtic securing another victory in this encounter.