Celtic begin the day five points behind Hearts in the title race, with the league leaders not playing until later tonight when they travel to Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock. That means the Hoops have the chance to apply some pressure before their rivals even kick a ball.
Last weekend brought plenty of drama at Ibrox. Celtic edged through a tense Scottish Cup tie after 120 minutes without a goal, eventually winning the shootout to reach the semi-finals. The performance was built on defensive discipline rather than consistent attacking threat, but the result kept another trophy firmly in sight.
Now attention returns to the league. With the number of matches running down quickly, every point matters. Celtic know they cannot afford many slip-ups if they want to close the gap at the top.
There are also a few selection questions for O’Neill this afternoon. Callum McGregor misses out with a calf strain, leaving a space in the holding midfield role. Arne Engels has only just returned to training, which limits the options available.
Viljami Sinisalo will likely keep his place in goal after a strong run of performances in recent weeks. The young goalkeeper has handled some big games well, including the cup tie at Ibrox.
Further forward, Celtic will be hoping to create more chances than they managed against Rangers. Motherwell are likely to sit in and look to break quickly when possession turns over.
And this is the team Martin O’Neill has gone for:
Motherwell arrive in good form under Jens Berthel Askou and already beat Celtic earlier in the season at Fir Park. That result will still be fresh in the memory.
But with Hearts not playing until later this evening, Celtic have a clear target. Three points here would cut the gap at the top and set the tone before the rest of the weekend’s fixtures unfold
