After their Champions League disappointment on Tuesday night, Celtic will be looking to get back to winning ways when they face Hibernian on Saturday.
After losing 2-0 to RB Leipzig on Tuesday, Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League with two games to spare. The Hoops could still qualify for the Europa League, but it would require taking at least a point from Real Madrid, beating Shakhtar Donetsk, and hoping the Ukrainian side loses against Leipzig.
But now, Ange Postecoglou's side must turn their attention to the Scottish Premiership as they face Hibs. Lee Johnson's side sits third in the table, with Celtic unbeaten against Hibs in their last 15 meetings.
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Callum McGregor, Carl Starfelt, Stephen Welsh, David Turnbull and Jota are set to be absent for Celtic, with Postecoglou confirming the latter two will be missing in his press conference on Friday. So, can Celtic put their Champions League misery behind them and claim three points on Saturday?
We used FIFA 23 to try and predict the score, and this is what happened! To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the Celtic squad with the latest injuries and suspensions.
Celtic vs Hibernian score predicted by simulation
We predict that the Hoops could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Hart; Juranovic, Carter-Vickers, Jenz, Taylor; Hatate, O'Riley; Abada, Haksabanovic, Maeda; Furuhashi.
We predict that the visitors could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Marshall; Cadden, Porteous, Hanlon, Cabraja; Kenneh, Newell; Boyle, Campbell, Youan; Kukharevych.
Hibs almost took the lead at Celtic Park in the opening five minutes when Thody Elie Youn raced through on goal, but his effort was smothered by Joe Hart. Celtic took control after conceding that chance, and they took the lead on 18 minutes.
A long ball forward was brought down by Sead Haksabanovic just outside the box, and the midfielder played a lovely through ball for Kyogo Furuhashi to chase. As the striker latched onto the pass, he rifled a powerful effort past the 'keeper at his near post to send the hosts in front.
The pressure continued from Celtic early in the second half, with plenty of chances falling their way. A period of dominance saw Hibs start to get a grip of the game, but Celtic then doubled their lead to open up a gap between the two sides.
Furuhashi was found running in behind, and the striker beat his marker for pace to go through on goal. Pushed wide by the covering defenders, Furuhashi sent a cross into the centre of the box, and Liel Abada met the ball with a brilliant diving header that nestled in the bottom corner.
The visitors did pull a goal back in the 88th minute when Harry McKirdy rounded Hart to tap into an empty net, but Celtic held on and secured an important victory.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Celtic 2-1 Hibernian
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Celtic could emerge victorious in a very even clash at Celtic Park, beating Hibs 2-1. Following a tough defeat in the Champions League, any sort of victory against third place could prove valuable for Celtic.
What do you think the score will be between Celtic and Hibernian tonight? Let us know in the comments!
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