Digressive Celts

Matches › 2026/27

Dundee United v Celtic

Wednesday 30 December 2026, 19:45 · CalForth Construction Arena at Tannadice Park · Round 21

Forecast

Dundee UnitedCeltic
Expected goals0.942.07
Win16%63%
Expected Points0.692.10
Clean sheet13%39%

Dundee United 16%Draw 21%Celtic 63%

Most likely score 0–2, 11%. Both sides score 54%.

Celtic goalsDundee United goals0123456+0123456+5%7%4%2%4%7%4%1%2%5%5%3%2%1%1%1%10%11%10%10%

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

Dundee United

  1. D1–117 OctSt. Johnstone (A)xG 1.02–1.29
  2. W1–010 OctHibernian (H)xG 1.68–0.77
  3. W3–019 SepSt. Mirren (A)xG 1.60–0.99
  4. D1–15 SepFalkirk (H)xG 2.66–1.27
  5. L0–32 SepMotherwell (A)xG 0.16–2.39
  6. W4–029 AugKilmarnock (A)xG 3.42–1.13

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

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

Season to date

Dundee UnitedCeltic
Position6th1st
Played99
Won, drawn, lost3–⁠3–⁠38–⁠0–⁠1
Points12 (1.33 per game)24 (2.67 per game)
Expected Points per game1.452.31
Goals11–⁠1223–⁠5
xG per game1.55–⁠1.442.93–⁠1.05
Home: points, xG per game1.25, 1.79–⁠1.232.40, 2.60–⁠0.95
Away: points, xG per game1.40, 1.36–⁠1.603.00, 3.33–⁠1.18
ManagerJim Goodwin (97)Martin O'Neill (27)

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 1.35AttackDundee United1.24, 6thCeltic2.17, 1stDefence (lower is better)Dundee United1.43, 6thCeltic0.88, 1st

This season

Attack0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctDundee United attack: 1.24Celtic attack: 2.172.171.24CelticDundee UnitedDefence (lower is better)0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctDundee United defence: 1.43Celtic defence: 0.881.430.88

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

Dundee UnitedCeltic
CreatedConcededCreatedConceded
Open play−30%+6%+121%−48%
Counter-attacks+56%−64%+195%−35%
Set pieces+53%−13%−8%+5%
Penalties−43%−43%−100%−43%
Headers−5%−36%+164%−27%
Left side−26%+9%+159%−62%
Centre−2%−4%+87%−13%
Right side+34%−28%+61%−42%

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

Dundee United attacking

Dundee United createdCeltic concededLeft side−26%−42%Centre−2%−13%Right side+34%−62%Open play−30%−48%Counter-attacks+56%−35%Set pieces+53%+5%Headers−5%−27%

Celtic attacking

Celtic createdDundee United concededLeft side+159%−28%Centre+87%−4%Right side+61%+9%Open play+121%+6%Counter-attacks+195%−64%Set pieces−8%−13%Headers+164%−36%

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

Dundee UnitedCeltic

1.55xG2.93
1.44xG against1.05
51%Possession60%
15.9Shots20.3
14.9Shots against11.9
5.6Shots on target9.2
2.2Big chances5.2
30.0Touches in the opposition box38.2
421Passes605
79%Pass accuracy88%
6.3Corners9.0
46%Field tilt68%
39.0Final-third entries62.3
14.0Box entries24.5
12.2Passes per defensive action13.0

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

Dundee United

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level251.891.30
Ahead261.741.14
Behind391.201.72

Celtic

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

xG by period

Dundee United

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.240.343–3
16–300.140.210–2
31–450.440.215–1
46–600.190.300–3
61–750.240.210–3
76–900.310.163–0

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

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

Most used players by position

Dundee United

GKRBCBCBLBCMCMCMRWSTLWWalton 9Rawlins 8Yoro 1Esselink 9Forbes 9Ferry 5Ciubotaru 4Camará 4Sevelj 3Yoro 2Tait 7Agyei 4Cameron 4Iqbal 3Randall 4Merghem 4Bennie 1Metsoko 4Sapsford 3Rose 2Bennie 6Randall 2Sapsford 14-3-3 in every start

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)

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
22 March 2026Dundee United2–0CelticxG 1.13–1.10
10 January 2026Celtic4–0Dundee UnitedxG 3.18–0.34
17 December 2025Dundee United2–1CelticxG 1.45–3.20
26 April 2025Dundee United0–5CelticxG 0.44–3.06
15 February 2025Celtic3–0Dundee UnitedxG 1.64–0.16
8 January 2025Celtic2–0Dundee UnitedxG 1.74–0.16

17 league meetings since 2020/21: Dundee United won 2, Celtic won 11, and 4 were drawn. Goals 8–40 and xG 0.57–2.65 per game.

Key players

Dundee United

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Randall6596230.310.33
Bennie7503110.440.09
Tait7673000.080.15
Forbes9810100.110.04

Celtic

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

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