Celtic vs St. Johnstone Prediction: Celtic to win at their fortress

Two squads at opposite poles of the Scottish Premiership standings will clash on Saturday as second-ranked Celtic welcome St Johnstone, who are embroiled in the fight against demotion. Despite their current standing, the visiting team enters the match on the heels of two consecutive games without defeat, carrying ample confidence into the upcoming weekend.

Celtic aim to build upon their recent triumph, a 4-2 victory in the Scottish Cup against Livingston. In that encounter, Celtic dominated possession with 75% and launched 27 goal attempts, with 10 hitting the target. Daizen Maeda (7', 22', 86') and Kyogo Furuhashi (95') found the net for Celtic, while Livingston managed 4 shots, with Daniel Mackay (12') and Tete Yengi (54') scoring. It has been infrequent in recent matches for Celtic to maintain a clean sheet throughout the full 90 minutes. Statistically, Celtic's defense has been breached in 5 of their last 6 games, conceding 7 goals in total. Notably, Celtic remains unbeaten by St Johnstone in their previous 24 league encounters and has also preserved an undefeated home record in their last 5 league matches.

In their previous outing, St Johnstone settled for a 1-1 draw in the Premiership clash against Livingston, securing 60% possession and 10 goal attempts, with 3 on target. Nicky Clark (87') scored for St Johnstone, while Livingston's Andrew Shinnie (37') also found the net. St Johnstone's forward line has struggled to find the back of the net in their last 6 matches, contributing to a meager total of only 4 goals. Additionally, their opponents have collectively scored 9 goals during this period. As they head into this fixture, St Johnstone has not emerged victorious against Celtic in their last 14 away league encounters.

Celtic's offensive prowess should be sufficient to secure them three points this weekend, given their overall superior quality. While St Johnstone is currently in good form, which should make for a competitive match, Celtic remains the favored side.