Dundee vs Celtic – Preview, Lineups, Key Men And Score Prediction | OneFootball

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Fixture: Dundee vs Celtic Competition: Scottish Premiership Kick-off: 5th April, 16:30 UK time

Celtic head to lock horns with Dundee at Dens Park in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon knowing full well that a slip-up could mean the end of their title hopes.

The City of Discovery could be where Celtic find their title hopes extinguished, with Dundee United having completed a double over the Bhoys at Tannadice before the break, and Dundee now having the chance to match their local rivals after an earlier victory in October at Dens Park.

Celtic go into the clash desperately needing a win, with Hearts, having beaten Dundee before club football took a breather, enjoying a five-point cushion over the Bhoys. Dundee, five points ahead of Kilmarnock in 11th, will be seeking to avoid the relegation playoffs and close the gap to Dundee United, who are five points ahead of them in seventh.

Dundee boss Steven Pressley has said that he expects a reaction from ‘wounded animal’ Celtic but also added that he hopes to exploit the pressure the Bhoys are under from the title race.

With Rangers having won on Saturday, the words of former Scotland star Alan Rough are starting to ring true, with the claim that Celtic are now relying on their rivals to slip up in the title race.

Martin O’Neill has not been dealt an easy hand. Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers are out of action until next term, while Kasper Schmeichel looks set to have played his final game for Celtic after facing a year out with a shoulder injury.

Julian Araujo has returned to parent club Bournemouth for medical treatment with a quad strain and is ruled out for up to eight weeks. Colby Donovan limped off in the 2-0 defeat at Dundee United and remains a doubt.

Alistair Johnston, who is looking forward to representing Canada at the World Cup, is nearing a return to help alleviate the crisis at right-back, but he is projected to begin featuring around the split. Tomas Cvancara is expected to return after missing the previous clash with an illness. Callum Osmand and Arne Engels are also nearing a return.

Dundee will be without defender Clark Robertson, who has suffered a setback in his recovery process from an initial injury suffered in December during a 1-0 defeat at Celtic.

The two clubs met in the Scottish Cup in February and O’Neill believes that game showed what a tough clash is in prospect this afternoon.

Recent Form (league)

Dundee: WDWDL Celtic: LDWWL

Key Men

Dundee

Simon Murray leads the scoring for Dundee with five in the league and seven overall while Ashley Hay trails him with three, with seven players on two goals apiece. While Murray and Hay are not likely to play together, Pressley will be hoping for impact from both the starter and the substitute.

Cameron Congreve, on loan from Swansea City, and rumoured to be a Rangers target a few years ago, leads the assists chart for Dundee with six. Congreve has also popped up with two goals and Pressley will be hoping for further contribution from his young winger.

Tony Yogane, on loan from Brentford, is only behind Congreve, with four, on the assists chart. Yogane will be seeking to exploit the potentially unsettled right side of Celtic’s defence.

Celtic

Benjamin Nygren will be bouncing after guiding his national side to the World Cup. Nygren received praise from both Sweden boss Graham Potter and national hero Viktor Gyokeres, as Nygren started against both Ukraine and Poland.

While Nygren is the top scorer for Celtic with 15 goals, more than double his nearest contender, he has also been accused of going missing as a midfielder.

Sweden might have provided the template for deploying Nygren, with the Swede best-suited to playing as a second striker. O’Neill might be tempted to try Nygren out behind Iheanacho to find the best possible balance with the squad at hand.

Kelechi Iheanacho might be vital in bringing out the best from Nygren. While a former player feels that the fact that Iheanacho played against Dundee United shows the lack of options for O’Neill, the Nigerian might be the best bet if Nygren is to perform as he does for Sweden.

Arne Engels has returned to full training and will hand Celtic an undoubted fillip for the title run in. Engels, for whom Celtic rejected three bids from Nottingham Forest, is unlikely to start, but the midfielder could make a major impact off the bench.

Match Prediction

Dundee are unbeaten in their last four home clashes, having picked up six, out of their eight wins in the league, at Dens Park.

This season has also seen tightly contested games between Celtic and Dundee, with the largest margin coming in Dundee’s 2-0 victory in October. Celtic prevailed by a single goal at Celtic Park while the Bhoys needed extra-time to overcome Dundee in the Scottish Cup at home in February.

Dundee’s defence, and Luke Graham in particular, who has been touted as the ideal signing for Rangers, will want to keep it tight and scrappy for Celtic, with the Bhoys struggling to achieve any sort of attacking chemistry.

If Celtic are to win, it is likely to come through a narrow margin and O’Neill might seek to eliminate the loss before going for a win.

Dundee 1-1 Celtic

Where To Watch?

Dundee vs Celtic will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra HDR with a kick-off at 16:30 UK time.