Dundee vs Celtic Prediction

Two different recent pictures

Celtic's overall record across their last 20 matches looks strong on paper, with 11 wins from 20 games, but the last month has been bumpier than that number suggests. They've lost to Falkirk, Hibernian and Celta Vigo in recent weeks, sandwiched around a 7-1 demolition of Hearts, so there's been real inconsistency alongside the big scorelines.

Dundee: 20 completed matches; Celtic: 20 completed matches.

Dundee

20 matches

Win

45% 9 / 20

Draw

20% 4 / 20

Loss

35% 7 / 20

Scored

35

Conceded

27

Difference

+8

Celtic

20 matches

Win

60% 12 / 20

Draw

5% 1 / 20

Loss

35% 7 / 20

Scored

41

Conceded

29

Difference

+12

Dundee's form has actually picked up a touch. They've won three of their last five matches in all competitions, including a home win over Kilmarnock and an away win at Falkirk, mixed with a draw against Rangers. It's not a dominant run, but it shows they're capable of putting results together.

Celtic's recent dip takes some shine off their status as outright favourites.

Comparative Team Statistics: Dundee vs Celtic

History still leans heavily towards Celtic

Looking back over the last 20 meetings between these two, Celtic have been utterly dominant, with scorelines like 7-1, 6-0 and 5-0 cropping up more than once. Dundee's victories in this fixture have been rare and mostly came at home, including a 2-1 win earlier this year.

That kind of history doesn't guarantee anything for this specific game, especially given Celtic's current form dip, but it does show how one-sided this fixture has tended to be whenever Celtic are at their best.

A clear gap in the table

Celtic sit top of the Premiership with 28 points from 11 games, conceding just eight goals all season, which points to a genuinely strong defensive record even amid the recent wobble. Dundee are fourth with 17 points, having conceded 13, a reasonable return but a fair way off Celtic's level.

The gap in goals conceded is probably the most telling stat here, since it suggests Celtic's underlying numbers are still solid even if recent results haven't all gone their way.

Who's been doing the damage

Celtic's goals have been shared around, with Durán, Nygren and Høgh all among the top scorers, and Tierney chipping in with assists from midfield. That spread of contributors is useful when one or two players are having an off day.

Dundee:

Best scorers:

J. Westley - 3

B. Fink - 2

Best assist providers:

J. Bevan - 1

Penalty cards:

Ž. Bešir x 1

E. Hamilton x 2

Celtic:

Best scorers:

C. Durán - 3

B. Nygren - 3

K. Høgh - 3

Best assist providers:

C. Durán - 3

B. Nygren - 3

K. Tierney - 2

Penalty cards:

Colby Donovan x 2

Dundee's main threat looks to be Westley, their top scorer, while Bevan has provided a bit of creativity. One flag worth noting is that Dundee's Bešir has already picked up a red card in a small number of appearances, which hints at a disciplinary risk worth keeping an eye on.

How this one might play out

Celtic's recent defensive numbers and table position suggest they should have enough quality to control this game, but their last few results show they're not unbeatable right now. Dundee, with some decent recent form and a history of occasional home wins in this fixture, aren't completely without hope.

Given the scale of some past head-to-head scorelines, a heavy Celtic win wouldn't be a shock if they rediscover their best form, but the recent dip means a tighter contest is also plausible.