Hearts v Celtic: Visitors aim to reclaim Premiership top spot
Hearts #Hearts
Celtic were 4-1 winners on their last visit to Tynecastle but lost at home to Hearts in December
“The fun begins” now for Celtic, said manager Brendan Rodgers, as he takes his team to Tynecastle on Sunday for a crucial contest in the Scottish Premiership title race.
Celtic travel to face third-place Hearts knowing a win would reclaim top spot after Rangers were stunned 2-1 at home by Motherwell on Saturday.
“When you arrive at 10 games to go, that’s when the fun begins, that’s when you are into the business side,” Rodgers said at his Friday news conference.
“That’s what I am really looking forward to.”
Celtic were beaten 2-0 by Hearts in the sides’ last meeting, but have won on their past five visits to Gorgie and thrashed Dundee 7-1 on Wednesday as they found their best form.
And Rodgers, whose side trail Rangers by two points, is optimistic his team can find the required consistency for the run-in.
“We have obviously had inconsistencies up to this point,” he added. “But we are still very much there, it’s still very much in our hands.
“I have always felt our biggest enemy this season is ourselves. If we perform to the level that we can do on a consistent basis, we are a very good team. It’s that consistency now of taking that performance into our next game.”
Hearts head coach Steven Naismith is hoping his side can capitalise on any nerves Celtic may have in a tight title race.
“From my experiences, when you’ve got a title race that’s neck and neck, the outcome of the Saturday game can have an impact on the Sunday, and that rolls on every week until the title’s decided,” said Naismith, who won the league three times with Rangers.
“We’ve got to use that, plus the fact we’re at home and we’ve been on a really good run of form, to our advantage.
“We’ve got to use all the confidence we’ve built over the last three or four months to give ourselves a good chance of winning. We want to start the game well and show that we’ve got a bit of punch about us.
“It’s about getting control in these games. If you’re going to sit and defend for 90 minutes, you’re just asking to bring on pressure and inevitably allow them chances.”
Team news
Hearts will be without centre-half Frankie Kent due to a knee injury sustained in the midweek 1-1 draw with Hibernian. Yutaro Oda, Craig Halkett, Peter Haring, Barrie McKay and Liam Boyce remain out.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor is a doubt with a calf/Achilles problem. Reo Hatate is unlikely to feature before the international break while Maik Nawrocki is also injured and Liel Abada is still not being considered for selection.
Line-upsHearts
Formation 3-5-2
28Clark
21Sibbick3Kingsley15Rowles
81Lembikisa8Nieuwenhof6Baningime7Grant19Cochrane
9Shankland17Forrest
Substitutes
Celtic
Formation 4-3-3
1Hart
2Johnston20Carter-Vickers5Scales3Taylor
33O’Riley24Iwata28Gonçalves Bernardo
13Yang9Idah38Maeda
Substitutes
Referee:Don Robertson
Attendance:17,748
Live Text
Attempt saved. Adam Idah (Celtic) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner.
Goal! Heart of Midlothian 2, Celtic 0. Lawrence Shankland (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Calem Nieuwenhof.
Foul by Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic).
Alan Forrest (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Matt O’Riley with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Stephen Kingsley.
Attempt blocked. Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Matt O’Riley.
Attempt saved. Calem Nieuwenhof (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner, Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Liam Scales.
Attempt saved. Lawrence Shankland (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Dexter Lembikisa.
Foul by Tomoki Iwata (Celtic).
Beni Baningime (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Daizen Maeda (Celtic).
Dexter Lembikisa (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Daizen Maeda (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Toby Sibbick (Heart of Midlothian).
Second Half begins Heart of Midlothian 1, Celtic 0.
Substitution, Celtic. Kyogo Furuhashi replaces Paulo Bernardo.
First Half ends, Heart of Midlothian 1, Celtic 0.
Offside, Heart of Midlothian. Calem Nieuwenhof is caught offside.
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Heart of Midlothian
Squad number28Player nameClark
Squad number21Player nameSibbick
Squad number3Player nameKingsley
Squad number15Player nameRowles
Squad number81Player nameLembikisa
Squad number8Player nameNieuwenhof
Squad number6Player nameBaningime
Squad number7Player nameGrant
Squad number19Player nameCochrane
Squad number9Player nameShankland
Squad number17Player nameForrest
No players have been substituted yet
Celtic
Squad number1Player nameHart
Squad number2Player nameJohnston
Squad number20Player nameCarter-Vickers
Squad number5Player nameScales
Squad number3Player nameTaylor
Squad number33Player nameO’Riley
Squad number24Player nameIwata
Squad number28Player namePaulo Bernardo
Squad number13Player nameYang Hyun-Jun
Squad number9Player nameIdah
Squad number38Player nameMaeda
Squad number8Player nameFuruhashi