Celtic vs St Johnstone Predictions

• St Johnstone have avoided anything more than two-goal defeats in four of their last five clashes with Celtic.
• Celtic have not won by more than two goals in any of their last five Premiership matches.
• St Johnstone are unbeaten in six and have not lost by more than two goals in any game since August.

Saints solid enough to avoid Hoops hammering

Celtic will attempt to maintain their nine-point advantage at the top of the Premiership when they host in-form St Johnstone at Parkhead on Christmas Eve. Ange Postecoglou’s men got the three points they required at home to Livingston on Wednesday, but the Hoops boss was not enamored with the performance of his table-topping side and hinted at changes for this visit of the Saints.

Liel Abada should keep his place after causing havoc in midweek with the two crosses that led to Celtic’s goals and one disallowed effort of his own late on. Sead Haksabanovic, David Turnbull, James Forrest and Aaron Mooy could be in line to start if Postecoglu decides to freshen up his line-up.

Callum Davidson has brought his St Johnstone side to the boil over the last few weeks during a six-game unbeaten run that has taken them into the top half of the table. Clashes with Celtic have not gone well for the Perth club in recent seasons and they were thrashed 7-0 in the east end of Glasgow last April, but this should be a much closer affair.

Perth club have solid streak running through team

Saints have a combative midfield duo of Dan Phillips and Cammy MacPherson who can match the intensity Celtic’s midfielders have been encouraged to produce on a weekly basis. And there has been a real improvement defensively too with Celtic the only top-flight club to have conceded fewer goals across the last six fixtures.

Those traits make the handicap odds on Davidson’s men not to lose by more than two goals very interesting. Saints’ only defeat by three or more goals this term came back in August at Rangers when the Ibrox outfit clinically hit four, despite producing an xG of less than two.

A 2-0 Celtic win is the preferred correct score play as the Hoops have hit exactly two goals in five of their eight home Premiership contests this term while Saints have not scored in their last six away games against the Old Firm.