Celtic vs. Motherwell - Match Preview

Sunday 15th May 2016

Kick-off: 12:30

Celtic Park

Sky Sports 2
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Following a dismal 2-1 defeat at McDiarmid Park to St Johnstone on Wednesday, Celtic now turn their attention towards Motherwell. However Sunday’s game holds special importance for the Glasgow club, not only because it’s their last game of the 2015/16 season, but because it will also be Ronny Deila’s final game in the Celtic dugout. The man from Norway has previously announced his intention to stand down after the match, following a string of poor performances in his second season in charge.

This will be the fourth meeting between the two clubs this season, with Celtic winning two of the three previous encounters. The last meeting between the two sides in early April resulted in a 2-1 victory for the Bhoys, although it was the snubbing of Ronny Deila by Mark McGhee that the match is perhaps best remembered for.



Celtic

While the league is won, and there’s nothing left to play for, the team will surely want to end their season on a positive note. As such, there may be some concern over the loss of star striker Leigh Griffiths, who misses the game due to a disciplinary suspension. With the lack of real alternatives, Ronny Delia will most likely call upon Colin Kazim-Richards to lead the line on Sunday. The Turkish international has so far only managed to score a single goal in the league, but will be hoping that he can improve upon that tally should he be given the nod.

At the other end of the pitch, fans of the Parkhead side will be eagerly awaiting news on the fitness of Charlie Mulgrew, who missed Wednesday’s match due to a hamstring injury sustained during the Aberdeen game. Efe Ambrose, the man who strikes fear into the heart of even the most hardened Celtic supporter, has stepped in to replace him in the heart of defence. However, Ambrose has arguably been at fault for all four goals conceded in the last two games, which is undoubtedly a cause for concern should he feature on Sunday.



Two men who will surely be feeling contrasting emotions on Sunday


Other players to look out for include Patrick Roberts and Emilio Izaguirre. The 19 year old Englishman has put on some impressive performance since signing on loan in January, showing glimpses of the talent that earned him a move to Manchester City. Roberts has proven himself to be something of attacking threat, having scored twice against Aberdeen, and fans are surely hoping for a similar performance come Sunday.

Emilio Izaguirre who joined the club in 2010, and has since made over 160 appearances, appears to be leaving the club this summer after finding his game time limited following the emergence of Kieran Tierney. It would not be surprising to see the Honduran given one final run out at Celtic Park, with some emotional scenes surely to be expected.



Motherwell:

Like Celtic, Motherwell will be playing for pride having secured their 5th place finish, whilst being unable to catch St Johnston in 4th place who are 5 points clear. However the Steelmen will be feeling slightly more confident about their chances on Sunday having recorded a 3-1 victory over Ross County, despite having lost their previous two games to St Johnstone (2-1) and Aberdeen (4-1) respectively.

Most of the attention will be focused on their strikers who will be hoping to take advantage of the defensive frailties that have arguably defined Celtic’s season. In the previous meeting between the two sides, former Celtic striker Scott McDonald scored his side’s only goal of the day and will be hoping to repeat, if not improve on that performance. Louis Moult, Motherwell’s top goal scorer and fourth overall in Scotland, has failed to score in the last six games but will seeking to bring that dry spell to an end.


Ex-Celt Stephen Pearson scoring his first of two goals against Ross County

However, Mark McGhee may not need to rely on his strikers for goals if their match against Ross County is any indication of what to expect on Sunday. Stephen Pearson, the ex-Celtic defender, scored twice, perhaps proving that there’s more to his game than many people would give him credit for. Captain Keith Lasley also found the back of the net that night, and has also proven himself to be a persistent thorn in Celtic’s side in past games.



Last Six Games:

Celtic - LWWDLD

Motherwell - WLLWLW