Digressive Celts

Matches › 2026/27

St. Johnstone v Celtic

Saturday 13 March 2027, 15:00 · McDiarmid Park · Round 30

Forecast

St. JohnstoneCeltic
Expected goals0.812.19
Win12%68%
Expected Points0.562.25
Clean sheet11%44%

St. Johnstone 12%Draw 19%Celtic 68%

Most likely score 0–2, 12%. Both sides score 50%.

Celtic goalsSt. Johnstone goals0123456+0123456+5%5%2%1%4%7%4%2%2%4%4%3%2%1%1%10%12%9%9%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

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

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

St. JohnstoneCeltic
Position5th1st
Played99
Won, drawn, lost3–⁠3–⁠38–⁠0–⁠1
Points12 (1.33 per game)24 (2.67 per game)
Expected Points per game1.212.31
Goals11–⁠1123–⁠5
xG per game1.32–⁠1.522.93–⁠1.05
Home: points, xG per game1.60, 1.45–⁠1.332.40, 2.60–⁠0.95
Away: points, xG per game1.00, 1.16–⁠1.773.00, 3.33–⁠1.18
ManagerSimo Valakari (40)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 1.35AttackSt. Johnstone1.08, 12thCeltic2.17, 1stDefence (lower is better)St. Johnstone1.52, 10thCeltic0.88, 1st

This season

Attack0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctSt. Johnstone attack: 1.08Celtic attack: 2.172.171.08CelticSt. JohnstoneDefence (lower is better)0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctSt. Johnstone defence: 1.52Celtic defence: 0.881.520.88

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

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

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%

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%

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

St. JohnstoneCeltic

1.32xG2.93
1.52xG against1.05
46%Possession60%
10.0Shots20.3
14.0Shots against11.9
3.6Shots on target9.2
2.2Big chances5.2
18.2Touches in the opposition box38.2
432Passes605
79%Pass accuracy88%
3.3Corners9.0
49%Field tilt68%
39.7Final-third entries62.3
10.9Box entries24.5
18.3Passes 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

St. Johnstone

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

Celtic

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

xG by period

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

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

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)

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
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: St. Johnstone won 1, Celtic won 14, and 2 were drawn. Goals 9–48 and xG 0.58–2.61 per game.

Key players

St. Johnstone

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

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.