Celtic will be looking to build on Saturday's victory over Aberdeen when they face Livingston in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.
Despite a dominant performance that saw Celtic manage 33 shots and 81% possession, the Hoops had to wait until the 87th minute to break the deadlock at Pittodrie with Callum McGregor's late strike securing a 1-0 win over Aberdeen. The result kept Ange Postecoglou's side nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership after Rangers ' 3-2 win over Hibernian. The Light Blues picked up a dramatic win over the Dons last night with Scott Arfield netting TWICE in added-time to win another five-goal thriller. It means the champions will be out to restore their advantage at the top later tonight.
Sead Haksabanovic missed out last time out but is available for selection, with Stephen Welsh and James McCarthy also sidelined. Josip Juranovic is also set to miss out due to his involvement in the 2022 World Cup with Croatia.
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So, how could Celtic perform in their clash with Livingston on Wednesday? We simulated the game to try and find out.
Celtic vs Livingston 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, O’Riley, Hatate; Abada, Kyogo, Jota.
We predict that the visitors could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Konovalov; Devlin, Obileye, Fitzwater, Montano; Kelly, Holt; Omeonga, Shinnie, Kelly; Nouble.
It was a strong start from the Hoops at Celtic Park, and McGregor almost made it two goals in as many games when his drilled shot clipped the post from distance. Postecoglou's side continued to put pressure on the Livingston defence, and they found the breakthrough after 27 minutes through Kyogo Furuhashi.
Liel Abada beat his man with ease down the right before fizzing a cross into the box. The cross was aimed straight at the 'keeper who was anticipating a simple catch, but a moment of brilliance from Kyogo saw the striker flick the cross past Ivan Konovalov at his near post for the lead.
It was the slightest of touches from Kyogo, but incredibly effective as the ball squeezed in between the 'keeper and post. Celtic continued to cause problems around the Livingston box in the second half, and Kyogo got on the scoresheet again for his and Celtic's second of the night.
Reo Hatate's long ball forward was brought down by Jota on the left, and after cutting in, a smart reverse pass saw the forward find Kyogo in a dangerous position. The Japanese striker held off his marker before firing a powerful effort past the 'keeper and into the bottom corner.
A 15-minute spell of possession for Livingston saw the visitors go close on multiple occasions, but Joe Hart made some incredible saves to deny any hope for the Lions. As Livingston threw more bodies forward, the Hoops caught them on the break as Jota secured the win in the 84th minute.
After pushing out of the back line to intercept a pass, Carl Starfelt galloped forward with the ball, kickstarting a counterattack for Celtic. The defender played a pass to James Forrest on the left who then found Jota in the middle, and a first-time finish saw the Portuguese forward sweep the ball into the net.
Ayo Obileye pulled a goal back for Livingston in the 87th minute when a cross trickled through to the defender at the back post to tap in, but the Hoops held out for a big three points.
FIFA 23 predicted score: Celtic 3-1 Livingston
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that a Kyogo double followed by a second-half Jota strike could see Celtic emerge winners against Livingston. The attacking quality of the Hoops was too much for the visitors to handle, though the Lions did prove a handful themselves, with Joe Hart producing some top saves to keep the lead in the simulation.
What do you think the score will be between Celtic and Livingston on Wednesday? Let us know in the comments!
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