Bhoys Take Aim At Dees

Bhoys Take Aim At Dees
~~~~~~~~~~ Official TC Match Preview ~~~~~~~~~~


Daizen Maeda scored Celtic's only goal against Bodø/Glimt on Thursday


Celtic Park, Glasgow
Sunday, 20 February 2022
15.00 GMT​

Celtic have little time to dwell on the disappointment of Thursday night as attention immediately switches to this weekend's clash with Dundee, as the Bhoys seek an 8th consecutive win in the League.

All of which, of course, is contingent on whether the match is able to go ahead, in the aftermath of of Storm Eunice and further potentially dangerous weather conditions expected for Sunday.

This is a great opportunity for Ange Postecoglou's side to bounce back right away and even with the trip to the Artic Circle next week looming, all that matters is seeing how the Bhoys respond to the challenge and get the three points on offer this weekend.

And with the League title so crucially important, it is imperative that the Hoops not allow a single setback in an unrelated competition to derail all of the terrific work that has been done in propelling them back to the top of the League table.

It is remarkable to think of how far the Bhoys have come this season, and perhaps the shock of Thursday will provide the motivation for the Bhoys to guard against any complacency or any underestimating of any opponant that they face between now and the end of the season.

The Hoops are coming up against a side who are battling against relegation and are under new management. With the visitors desperate for points and as has often been seen a change in manager can provide a bounce.

Which is exactly the sort of threat that cannot be underestimated.

As mentioned, the Dens Park club parted ways with James McPake through the week, despite winning the last two games under his guidence. In his place Mark McGhee has been appointed until the end of the season - although the new man will not be seen in the visitors dugout on Sunday. In actual fact McGhee will not be in any dugout until April, as he still has a 6 match touchline ban to serve, hanging over from 2017 when he was the manager of Motherwell.


Cameron Carter-Vickers: "The margin for error is very low"

Speaking ahead of the weekend's clash with the Dees, Cameron Carter-Vickers noted that comparing the pressure he has had previously to what it is since coming to Celtic:

“If I compare it to the Championship where I’ve spent most of my time, you have to be consistent to achieve things but nowhere near as consistent as you do up here. The margin for error is very low and that’s something I’ve had to adjust to and realize.

“Guys like Callum McGregor and Nir Bitton communicate that pressure to you when you come in, but it’s another thing to realise it and come under that pressure.

“This squad is so close, from the players to the staff, which helps relive that because you share the weight of the pressure together and it helps us in our goals.”

Stat Attack​

• Since November (when these two sides last met), Celtic have won 13 of the 14 matches in the League. That is 40 of a possible 42 points!

• This season Dundee have managed to keep things tight in the first 15 minutes and the last 15 minutes of games. Their issues arise in the hour of play in between, especially away from Dens Park, where they have scored just 3 goals in that entire period.

• Celtic have not been defeated by Dundee since the end of the 2000-01 season - Martin O'Neill's first in charge.

• The last time that Celtic and Dundee met resulted in a 4-2 win for the Hoops - the first time that Celtic have conceded more than a single goal to Dundee since 2004.

Jota bagged a brace and an assist when Celtic defeated Dundee 4-2 back in November

Team News

There will likely be some changes to the starting XI, with Ange Postecoglou and the team looking to shake off the Bodø/Glimt result with a far better and more clinical performance against Dundee.

The Bhoys will continue to be without David Turnbull and Kyogo Furuhashi, who continue to near a return in the coming weeks. No doubt the visitors will be grateful to not have to face Kyogo again in particular, with the Japanese striker having already notched 5 goals in the 2 previous games against them this season.

As for the Dark Blues, Zak Rudden is expected to return, after he was cup-tied for last weekend’s Scottish Cup quarter-final win over Peterhead, while Lee Ashcroft and Cillian Sheridan, who also both missed that Peterhead game with injuries, will be assessed ahead of Sunday's match.​

~~~~ Head to Head ~~~~

Overall
P: 253 W: 150 D: 60 L: 43​

Last 5 Meetings
W W W W W

Home v DUN
W W D W W

~~~~ 2021/22 Form ~~~~ ​

Overall
L W W W W ~ W W L D D

CEL Home ~ DUN Away
L W W W W ~ W W D W L

SPFL
W W W W W ~ W L D D L​