Unbeaten Dundee United head to in-form Celtic at Celtic Park
Celtic have won four of five, Dundee United are unbeaten in five. A look at both runs, their shared opponents and how PLZ members see Wednesday's game.
By Harvey Watkins,
Celtic go into Wednesday night's meeting at Celtic Park with four wins from their last five league games. Dundee United arrive with no defeats from theirs. Celtic's record is the stronger of the two. United's run is good enough that this should not be treated as a formality.
Celtic's run, with context
Celtic have scored 13 and conceded three across their last five, with two clean sheets. Those totals need one adjustment. Seven of the 13 came in a single afternoon, the 7-1 win over Hearts on 18 October. Take that game out and Celtic have scored six and conceded two in the other four. That is still a solid return, but a less overwhelming one.
Their away form has been steady rather than spectacular: a 2-0 win at St. Johnstone, a 2-0 win at Motherwell and a 2-1 win at Hibernian last Saturday. Each was won by a margin of one or two goals.
The one defeat came at home, 1-0 to Rangers on 20 September. It was the only game in the run in which Celtic failed to score. They have won three in a row since, scoring 11 in those matches.
Dundee United unbeaten in five
United have three wins and two draws from their last five, scoring nine and conceding four. Like Celtic, they have kept two clean sheets in that spell, beating Hibernian 1-0 at home and St. Mirren 3-0 away.
Their most recent outing was a 3-2 home win over Aberdeen on Friday. United won it, but it was also the first time in this run they had conceded more than once. The two draws, 1-1 with Falkirk and 1-1 at St. Johnstone, show a side that has been hard to beat rather than one pulling clear of opponents.
Two shared opponents
Both clubs have played Hibernian and St. Johnstone in this period, which gives a rough point of comparison. Against Hibernian there is little between them. Celtic won 2-1 away and United won 1-0 at home, both by a single goal. Against St. Johnstone, Celtic won 2-0 away while United drew 1-1 on the same ground. That is a slight edge to Celtic, though two matches is a thin basis for any firm conclusion.
How PLZ Predictor members see it
Twenty-eight PLZ Soccer members have entered their predictions for this match in the PLZ Predictor. Ninety-six per cent have gone for a Celtic win, four per cent for a draw, and none for Dundee United. The most commonly predicted scoreline is 3-0, chosen by seven members. These are our members' own predictions, not odds or a forecast.
The assessment
On form, Celtic are entitled to be favoured. They have won three straight, they score freely, and their record against the two shared opponents is marginally better than United's.
There are reasons for caution all the same. Celtic's two home games in this run produced one emphatic win and one defeat, so their recent home record is a small and mixed sample. United, meanwhile, have not lost in five and have shown they can keep a clean sheet away from home.
My view is that Celtic are the likelier winners, but United's run makes a close game plausible, and a draw would not be a shock on what both sides have shown lately.