Reigning Scottish Premiership champions Celtic will be looking to maintain their position at the top of the table when they welcome Dundee to Parkhead on Saturday afternoon.
While the Hoops have picked up 10 points from their opening four top-flight matches, the visitors have only accumulated half as many and find themselves sitting in mid-table.
Match preview
© Reuters
After being forced to settle for just a point in a goalless home draw with St Johnstone, Celtic returned to winning ways with a slender 1-0 victory against Old Firm rivals Rangers before the international break.
The Gers were controversially denied a goal by VAR before Kyogo Furuhashi netted what proved to be the winner in first-half stoppage time to help the Hoops claim the bragging rights in Glasgow.
Brendan Rodgers hailed the "massive result" secured by his Celtic side in front of a capacity crowd at Ibrox "baying for blood" with not a single Hoops fan in sight, and the Northern Irishman is now hoping to build positive momentum ahead of their Champions League group-stage opener against Feyenoord next Tuesday.
Celtic will be confident of success on Saturday as they have won each of their last six meetings with Dundee by an aggregate score of 22-4.
The Hoops' exceptional 46-game unbeaten home run across all competitions also bodes well for Rodgers and co as the reigning top-flight champions endeavour to steal a march on joint leaders Motherwell before facing the Steelmen in a few weeks' time.
© Reuters
Dundee have made a respectable start to life back in the Premiership since securing promotion as winners of the Championship last season, picking up five points from their opening four matches.
The Dark Blues claimed their first league win of the new campaign when they beat Hearts 1-0 at the end of last month, and they appeared to be on course to win back-to-back games as they were leading 2-0 away against St Johnstone in their most recent fixture.
However, Dundee entered the international break disappointed as they conceded two late goals, including a 96th-minute equaliser from Max Kucheriavyi, to allow St Johnstone to rescue a 2-2 draw in Perth.
Manager Tony Docherty was initially left 'speechless' after the match, but later acknowledged that his Dundee side will learn from the disappointment and look to return to winning ways as soon as possible.
Claiming maximum points on Saturday is a tall order, though, as the have not beaten Celtic home or away in any competition since a 2-0 success at Parkhead back in May 2001 under the tutelage of Ivano Bonetti.
- W
- W
- D
- W
- W
- W
- L
- D
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Celtic have been boosted by the return to training of Reo Hatate following a spell out with a calf injury and the midfielder could be involved in the matchday squad this weekend, while centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers and attacker Marco Tilio are both closing in on a return as they have begun light training.
However, Rodgers has confirmed that Israeli winger Liel Abada is facing up to fourth months on the sidelines with a thigh problem, and he will join Maik Nawrocki, James McCarthy and Stephen Welsh in the treatment room.
Luis Palma is a doubt as the Honduran winger is scheduled to return from international duty on Friday, but fellow new recruits Nat Phillips and Paulo Bernardo have both trained and are available to make their debuts at Parkhead, with the former hoping to force his way into the first XI at centre-back ahead of either Liam Scales or Gustaf Lagerbielke.
As for Dundee, Aaron Donnelly and Juan Antonio Portales both remain sidelined as they continue to recover from respective ankle and knee injuries, but they could return before the end of this month.
Should Docherty decide to stick with a four-man defence, Ricki Lamie could keep his place at centre-back alongside ever-present Joe Shaughnessy, with Malachi Boateng providing protection as a defensive midfielder.
Zach Robinson is Dundee's top scorer so far this season with three goals, and the 21-year-old could continue on the right side of a front three next to Amadou Bakayoko and Scott Tiffoney.
Celtic possible starting lineup:
Hart; Johnston, Lagerkielke, Phillips, Taylor; O'Riley, McGregor, Turnbull; Forrest, Furuhashi, Maeda
Dundee possible starting lineup:
Carson; McGhee, Shaughnessy, Lamie, Beck; Boateng; Robinson, Robertson, McCowan, Tiffoney; Bakayoko
We say: Celtic 3-0 Dundee
Although Celtic are missing a number of players, they will still be regarded as firm favourites to come out on top this weekend.
Dundee will look to frustrate the Hoops in a similar way to that of St Johnstone a few weeks ago, but we believe that Rodgers's side have the quality to breach their backline and claim a comfortable victory on home soil.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
