Digressive Celts

Matches › 2026/27

Celtic v St. Johnstone

Saturday 5 December 2026, 15:00 · Celtic Park · Round 17

Forecast

CelticSt. Johnstone
Expected goals2.840.63
Win82%5%
Expected Points2.600.28
Clean sheet53%6%

Celtic 82%Draw 12%St. Johnstone 5%

Most likely score 2–0, 13%. Both sides score 44%.

St. Johnstone goalsCeltic goals0123456+0123456+3%2%9%6%2%8%2%7%2%8%5%2%5%3%1%4%2%13%12%

From the forecast as it stood on 18 October 2026: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page. How the forecasts work.

Form

Celtic

  1. W7–118 OctHearts (H)xG 4.23–1.20
  2. W2–011 OctMotherwell (A)xG 2.85–1.10
  3. L0–120 SepRangers (H)xG 0.39–1.81
  4. W1–09 SepSt. Johnstone (A)xG 1.80–0.69
  5. W2–15 SepSt. Mirren (A)xG 3.19–1.95
  6. W3–02 SepAberdeen (H)xG 2.67–0.68

St. Johnstone

  1. D1–117 OctDundee United (H)xG 1.29–1.02
  2. W1–011 OctAberdeen (A)xG 1.10–1.23
  3. D1–119 SepFalkirk (H)xG 0.94–1.29
  4. L0–19 SepCeltic (H)xG 0.69–1.80
  5. W2–16 SepHibernian (H)xG 2.32–1.61
  6. D1–12 SepDundee FC (A)xG 1.08–2.07

The last six league matches, newest first, with xG for and against.

Season to date

CelticSt. Johnstone
Position1st5th
Played99
Won, drawn, lost8–⁠0–⁠13–⁠3–⁠3
Points24 (2.67 per game)12 (1.33 per game)
Expected Points per game2.311.21
Goals23–⁠511–⁠11
xG per game2.93–⁠1.051.32–⁠1.52
Home: points, xG per game2.40, 2.60–⁠0.951.60, 1.45–⁠1.33
Away: points, xG per game3.00, 3.33–⁠1.181.00, 1.16–⁠1.77
ManagerMartin O'Neill (27)Simo Valakari (40)

League matches this season before kick-off. The manager's number is league matches in charge since 2020/21.

Ratings

0.51.01.52.02.5League average 1.35AttackCeltic2.17, 1stSt. Johnstone1.08, 12thDefence (lower is better)Celtic0.88, 1stSt. Johnstone1.52, 10th

This season

Attack0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctCeltic attack: 2.17St. Johnstone attack: 1.082.171.08St. JohnstoneCelticDefence (lower is better)0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctCeltic defence: 0.88St. Johnstone defence: 1.521.520.88

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday, with their rank among the league's clubs; a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs, spread up and down only so they don't overlap.

Strengths and weaknesses

CelticSt. Johnstone
CreatedConcededCreatedConceded
Open play+121%−48%−26%average
Counter-attacks+195%−35%−50%−11%
Set pieces−8%+5%−18%+1%
Penalties−100%−43%+71%−43%
Headers+164%−27%−17%+29%
Left side+159%−62%−14%+7%
Centre+87%−13%−18%−10%
Right side+61%−42%−58%+5%

xG created and conceded per game against the league average this season: +24% is 24% more than an average side. Left and right are each side's own, so chances conceded on its left come from opponents attacking down their right. Green favours the side and amber doesn't.

Matchups

Celtic attacking

Celtic createdSt. Johnstone concededLeft side+159%+5%Centre+87%−10%Right side+61%+7%Open play+121%averageCounter-attacks+195%−11%Set pieces−8%+1%Headers+164%+29%

St. Johnstone attacking

St. Johnstone createdCeltic concededLeft side−14%−42%Centre−18%−13%Right side−58%−62%Open play−26%−48%Counter-attacks−50%−35%Set pieces−18%+5%Headers−17%−27%

Each side's xG created per game down each side of the pitch, through the centre, and from each type of chance, against what its opponent concedes there, both relative to the league average.

Season averages

CelticSt. Johnstone

2.93xG1.32
1.05xG against1.52
60%Possession46%
20.3Shots10.0
11.9Shots against14.0
9.2Shots on target3.6
5.2Big chances2.2
38.2Touches in the opposition box18.2
605Passes432
88%Pass accuracy79%
9.0Corners3.3
68%Field tilt49%
62.3Final-third entries39.7
24.5Box entries10.9
13.0Passes per defensive action18.3

Per league match this season before kick-off. Field tilt, entries, and passes per defensive action cover 8 and 8 of those matches.

Game state this season

Celtic

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level242.231.23
Ahead573.340.98
Behind102.161.05

St. Johnstone

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level441.631.53
Ahead250.841.58
Behind211.251.44

xG by period

Celtic

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.400.126–0
16–300.400.251–1
31–450.710.247–2
46–600.570.076–1
61–750.310.202–1
76–900.540.161–0

St. Johnstone

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.150.141–1
16–300.250.183–1
31–450.260.291–2
46–600.330.282–4
61–750.130.201–1
76–900.200.433–2

Per game this season, with stoppage time counted in its half; goals are totals for and against.

Most used players by position

Celtic

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTSinisalo 8Johnstone 1Donovan 6Johnston 2Carter-Vickers 1Carter-Vickers 5Murray 3Trusty 6Scales 4Tierney 6Scales 3McGregor 8Baur 6Oxlade-Chamberlain 2Engels 2Hassan 5Durán 3McCowan 1Nygren 7Donovan 1Sørensen 1Yang 5Tounekti 2Nygren 1Durán 5Høgh 44-2-3-1 in 7 of 9 starts

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (7), 3-4-3 (1), 4-1-4-1 (1)

St. Johnstone

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTSteward 9Smith 6Todd 3Mitchell 6Finlayson 3Diabate 8Foulds 1Alić 7Foulds 2McAlear 8Stanton 1Holt 9Stanton 5Campbell 2Steven 1Cotterill 3Paton 2Gullan 2Steven 4Paton 3Gullan 2Fowler 8Gullan 14-2-3-1 in 5 of 9 starts

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (5), 4-4-2 (2), 3-4-2-1 (1), 4-3-3 (1)

This season's most used formation, with up to three players who started most often in each position and their league starts there. Underneath, when a side has used more than one, every formation with its starts.

Head to head

DateHomeAwayxG
9 September 2026St. Johnstone0–1CelticxG 0.69–1.80
6 April 2025St. Johnstone1–0CelticxG 0.52–2.32
29 December 2024Celtic4–0St. JohnstonexG 4.68–0.06
28 September 2024St. Johnstone0–6CelticxG 0.32–3.38
16 March 2024Celtic3–1St. JohnstonexG 4.02–0.73
3 December 2023St. Johnstone1–3CelticxG 1.36–2.53

17 league meetings since 2020/21: Celtic won 14, St. Johnstone won 1, and 2 were drawn. Goals 48–9 and xG 2.61–0.58 per game.

Key players

Celtic

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Nygren8654630.730.23
Durán8591550.560.33
Tierney6459130.310.44
Baur6550100.290.19

St. Johnstone

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Fowler8603610.570.05
Paton5452100.420.05
Alić7630110.070.18
Stanton7627010.090.05

Up to four players a side with the most xG plus xA per 90 minutes, from those with at least 450 league minutes.