Celtic return to domestic action when they travel to face Aberdeen on Saturday afternoon.
With the Scottish Premiership paused in November due to the 2022 World Cup, Celtic entered the break with a nine-point advantage over Rangers at the top of the league. After their rivals' 3-2 win against Hibernian on Thursday night, the gap currently sits at six points ahead of Ange Postecoglou's side's clash with Aberdeen.
Goals from Stephen Welsh and Jota secured a 2-0 win for Celtic over the Dons in the first week of the 2022/23 season, with the Hoops unbeaten in their last 18 meetings against Aberdeen in all competitions. The Hoops will be without Josip Juranovic with the defender still in Qatar with Croatia, whilst Callum McGregor is fully fit and expected to play on Saturday.
So, how could Celtic perform in their Scottish Premiership return on Saturday? We simulated the game to try and find out.
Aberdeen vs Celtic simulated
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the Celtic squad with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Celtic could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Hart; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor; McGregor, Hatate, O’Riley; Haksabanovic, Furuhashi, Jota.
We predict that the hosts could set up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, with their line-up as follows: Roos; McCrorie, Stewart, Scales; Kennedy, Barron, Ramadani, Coulson; Clarkson; Duk, Miovski.
Aberdeen sent a big warning to Celtic in the opening five minutes when Duk prodded a cross into the net at the back post, but the striker was flagged offside and the goal was ruled out. After the early scare, Celtic found their rhythm, and they took the lead after 12 minutes through Kyogo Furuhashi.
McGregor picked out Kyogo with a long ball forward on the right, and the striker took the ball down on his chest as he broke into the box. Two drops of the shoulder saw the striker breeze past two defenders before drilling his shot into the far corner of the net.
The Hoops took full control of the game from that point on, with the midfield battle being dominated by the league leaders. A smart run saw Jota break into the box down the left, but after being pulled back by his marker, Celtic were awarded a penalty.
Kyogo stepped up to take the spot-kick, and the Japanese striker powered his effort down the middle of the goal as the 'keeper dived to his left. The hosts struggled to find a way back into the game during the remainder of the first half, with the two-goal deficit tilting momentum into the Hoops' favour.
And, just before the break, Celtic made it 3-0, with Jota getting on the scoresheet. McGregor was involved once again, this time intercepting a pass in midfield to kickstart a counterattack.
The Scotsman threaded a pass through to Jota who charged towards goal, and the striker waited for the 'keeper to take a step to his right before firing home at the near post. Aberdeen pulled a goal back in the second half when Leighton Clarkson curled a free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards, but the Hoops were able to see out the game, winning 3-1.
FIFA 23 predicted score: Aberdeen 1-3 Celtic
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that a first-half flurry of goals could secure the victory for Celtic on Saturday, with the Hoops looking sharp on their return to action in the simulation. A fully-fit Jota and Callum McGregor played a big part in the win, and victory against Aberdeen would reinstate Postecoglou side's nine-point lead at the top of the table.
What do you think the score will be between Celtic and Aberdeen on Saturday? Let us know in the comments!
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