Hibernian vs Celtic: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Champions Celtic made the dream start to their title defence, beating Kilmarnock 4-0 last weekend. We expect them to make it two wins from two against Hibernian.

Hibs’ first game was the opposite, as they lost 3-0 at St Mirren to open their campaign. Despite the contrasting results, we are backing both teams to score.

In four of the last five meetings between these two sides, both teams have found the net. However, it should not cause Celtic too many issues as they are unbeaten in their last three against this weekend’s opposition.

The Hoops are in excellent form, having won their last five games and they are unbeaten in their last 18. Look for both Kyogo Furuhashi and Matt O’Riley to record a shot on target. Furuhashi scored 14 goals last season averaging one shot on target per game, whilst O’Riley netted 18 times - Hibernian 1-3 Celtic

Celtic travel to Hibernian for their second game of the season looking to make it two wins from two as they continue their defence of the Scottish Premiership title.

Date: 11/08/24

Kick-off time: 12:30

Venue: Easter Road

It was a perfect start for the champions Celtic as they thrashed Kilmarnock 4-0 at home in their opening game. They produced a dominant performance from start to finish as they ended with 83% possession and 32 attempts. Last season, they won the league by eight points over their rivals Rangers, and are hoping to win a fourth title in a row this year.

In their first game, they highlighted their huge strengths going forward, as their opponents had no chance of stopping them. Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi were the club’s top scorers with 18 and 14 goals respectively, though neither were on the scoresheet in the 4-0 win. There have been some transfer rumours surrounding O’Riley, but for now the team’s player of the season stays and remains one of their most important pieces.

Hibernian face a huge task in taking down a side who have not been beaten in 18 games, and they got off to the worst possible start in their opener against St Mirren. They lost 3-0 away from home, despite having more of the ball and attempting more shots. Hibs now face the prospect of zero points from their first two.

Since 2022, these two teams have faced each other nine times in the Scottish Premiership. There have been six wins for Celtic, whilst Hibs have won just once. Their sole win came in May 2023 as they beat 10-man Celtic 4-2. They had to come from behind with three goals in the final 15 minutes securing the win. Last season, they played three times, Celtic coming out on top twice, whilst the other ended in a goalless draw. The most recent fixture ended 2-1, with two penalties scored either side of a Hibs equaliser, including a 92nd minute winner from Adam Idah.

Hibernian vs Celtic will be available to watch on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

Hibernian

New signings Josef Bursik and Marvin Ekpiteta both made their first competitive starts in goal and in defence. Thody Elie Youan missed the game through injury so his availability for this weekend is in question.

Celtic

Defender Maik Nawrocki missed all of Celtic’s pre-season tour of the US through injury and as a result also sat out the season opener. This means he will be a doubt this weekend. Aside from this, Celtic have no new injury concerns to contend with.

Hibernian:

In their last five games, Hibernian have won two and lost three. It has been mixed form for the side, but they opened up their league season with a 3-0 loss at St Mirren last weekend in what was a dreadful start.

Their preparations for the season included Scottish League Cup action, in which they were playing the group stages. This run began with a group game at home to Queen’s Park, a fixture they comfortably won 5-1. They were 3-0 up at the break, before adding another pair in the second half. The visitors scored a consolation goal right at the death. A 1-0 defeat to Kelty Hearts followed, before a break from cup action saw them face Championship side Watford. They lost 3-2 in the friendly.

However, they responded well with a 4-0 victory over Peterhead. Lewis Miller gave his side a very early lead before doubling it shortly after the restart. Rudi Molotnikov and Nathan Moria-Welsh added two more to put the game to bed.

Celtic:

In their last five games, Celtic have been perfect, winning all five. A dominant pre-season for the current Scottish Premiership champions preceded the perfect start to their title defence. Last weekend, they took on Kilmarnock in the league opener and won 4-0 at home giving them the perfect start.

Reo Hatate, Liam Scales, Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn and Anthony Ralston were the scorers. It meant they continued the momentum gained from their pre-season games. They were involved in plenty of high-scoring fixtures, and picked up wins against very good sides. This run of games began with a 6-4 win at Scottish Championship side Queen’s Park. It was an entertaining back-and-forth game, which had Celtic 3-2 up at the break. Kyogo Furuhashi netted a hat-trick, including one strike in the second half to help secure the win.

The Hoops then travelled to America for the start of their US tour, where they faced MLS side DC United. It was a much more convincing win, as they defeated their opponents 4-0. Much tougher opposition awaited in Premier League winners Manchester City, but again they came out on top 4-3. They were never behind in the game, taking an early lead through Kuhn. He and Furuhashi scored once more in the half before Luis Palma added in the second half. Their preparations for the new season ended with a 4-1 victory over Chelsea. Matt O’Riley, Furuhashi, Palma and Michael Johnston were all on the scoresheet.

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