Sky Sports pundit James McFadden has predicted that Celtic are in for a battle against Kilmarnock as he drools over the talent available at Brendan Rodgers’ disposal.
The Hoops visit their top flight rivals looking to bounce back to winning ways after seeing themselves comfortably beaten by Valencia in the Europa League round of 32 in midweek.
Killie snatched a 2-1 win at home earlier in the season before being dismantled 6-1 at Parkhead and McFadden has predicted another tough game for the Bhoys, insisting that a resolute defence is the key to victory.
Speaking to Killie’s Kris Boyd, he told Sky Sports’ SPFL Matters (15/02, 18:00): “I think you’ll be hoping for a hangover but I don’t think you’ll get one.
“I think they are at the top of their game at the minute, they’ve got so many options – if they play to their levels then it’ll be difficult but you have history on your side and it is a tough place to go.
“You are hard to beat, good attacking threat and that’s going to be key, Celtic have hardly been tested in defence so if your defence can hold out you’ve got a chance to beat them again but they’ll know they’re in for a tough game.”
Opinion
When Celtic win games in the Scottish top flight they tend to win by a handful and that is thanks to the pure talent flowing through their attacking options. However, their defeats are usually narrow ones, highlighting that teams still struggle to get the best of the Hoops’ defence when they do silence the forwards. The back line has looked pretty commanding of late, with not one goal conceded in any of the domestic competitions since the winner from Ryan Jack for Rangers before the turn of the new year. Kilmarnock are going to have a real fight on their hands and finding the balance of attacking versus defending is no easy feat. Push forward too much and the Celtic attacking will tear you to shreds with their quality. Sit back and try and counter will only see Celtic dominate possession and still create chances, leaving your own opportunities at a premium, if you can carve any out at all. Kilmarnock must draw on their victory earlier this season as inspiration.