Celtic may well be on an impressive run of form in the Scottish Premier League this season but manager Neil Lennon has urged his players to avoid complacency when they make the trip to Hearts on Wednesday (Hearts 4/1, draw 5/2, Celtic 8/11 – Match Betting).
The Hoops have worked wonders in recent months as they managed to overturn Rangers’ (10/3 – SPL Outright) 15-point lead at the top of the table to go top of the pile, with four points being the difference if they can win at Tynecastle.
It’s the level of consistency that has been so impressive for Celtic after a slow start to the campaign, as they have dominated most sides from start to finish in recent weeks.
Gary Hooper (10/3 – First Goalscorer) has been the star striker for Celtic since his move from Scunthorpe United, however he has been backed up by decent performances from Georgios Samaras and Anthony Stokes.
Goals have not been hard to come by for Hooper and Stokes, who have 33 goals between them in all competitions this term, and Hearts will be fully aware of the duo.
It has not only been in the attacking areas of the field where Celtic (1/5 – SPL Outright) have looked strong, as the Old Firm side have only conceded two goals in their last five outings, which will be a worrying sign for a Hearts side who have been making headline for the wrong reasons this week.
The Edinburgh outfit continue to struggle with financial restraints off the field, with players reportedly not being paid on time and now a fresh court case against them from the Inland Revenue for alleged unpaid tax.
Considering their monetary woes, the Hearts players should take great credit for their performances on the field, as they currently sit in fourth place in the SPL table.
The Jambos find themselves six points off Motherwell and will be keen to close down the gap on the Steelmen before their trip to St Mirren on Saturday.
Hearts head into this match following a 1-1 draw with St Johnstone, in what was a frustrating afternoon for manager Paulo Sergio, who saw his side have a man advantage for the final 15 minutes of the game.
One bright spark for Hearts was the 23-year-old David Templeton scoring the opening goal of the game against the Perth club. The attacking midfielder is highly rated and Celtic will have to be aware of the threat he will pose on Wednesday night.
Czech midfielder Rudi Skacel (15/2 – First Goalscorer) is currently the club’s leading goalscorer this term with nine and he will also be looking to find a way through that sturdy Celtic defence.
Considering their form the Hoops are firm favourites to win Wednesday’s encounter at Tyncastle and it’s hard to see them not coming away with the three points.
Hearts have struggled for goals so a clean sheet for Celtic would not be surprising, as they look to extend their lead at the top of the table and go a step close to claiming the SPL title.
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