DAVID MARTINDALE has hailed Celtic as the ‘the team to beat’ domestically, despite the Hoops’ European disappointment this week.
The Livingston manager is eyeing a double Old Firm shock after last weekend’s surprise 1-1 draw against Rangers at Ibrox.
The Lions came within a few minutes of victory before succumbing to John Lundstram’s injury-time leveller after a VAR-assisted red card for Morgan Boyes.
Martindale believes Livi are capable of getting another positive result on Sunday when they host a Celtic team fresh from their Champions League exit following Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk.
But the Almondvale boss - who has helped steer his side to just one defeat, in March last season, from their last six home games against Celtic since returning to the Premiership - knows the size of the task they face.
He said: “Celtic are the team to beat. I think Ange [Postecoglou] has done a fantastic job. They’re flying, it’s very, very difficult to break them down and they’re very, very difficult to stop.
“But we’ll go into the game with our own game-plan - probably two banks of five!
“Joking aside, we’ll go in and try to impose our game-plan on Celtic, but I think they’re the team to beat this season, they’re fantastic.
“They’ve made massive progress from the minute Ange has walked into that building to where they are now. He’s transformed them.
“They’re a top, top team and with their performances in Europe I have genuinely wanted them to win in all these games.
“I’ve watched them and I think they’ve been really, really unlucky in their games in the Champions League.
“So, that shows the calibre of where Celtic are as a club.”
Consecutive games against Rangers and Celtic could be viewed as daunting by some, but Martindale insists he relishes the challenge.
He added: “I quite like it. We had a back to back with Celtic [0-0 and 2-2 draws four days apart two seasons ago] and I quite enjoyed that process.
“But going to Ibrox is different to playing Celtic here, when you’re on your own ground and you can be a wee bit more aggressive, hopefully.
“They’re two different games, to be honest, and two different game-plans.”
Meanwhile, Martindale insists being on the wrong end of a VAR decision has not changed his mind on the technology after it made its Scottish domestic debut.
Referee David Munro initially gave a yellow card for Boyes’ challenge on Alfredo Morelos but upgraded that to a red after being asked by VAR Greg Aitken to take another look.
Martindale told Sky Sports: “I was quite positive with VAR. We came out on the wrong side of a decision but I think it was the correct decision.
“I’m more than happy with VAR being there because I think without VAR you could be debating, ‘is it a yellow, is it a red?’.
“But the referee has obviously been asked to have a look at it, he’s gone over to monitor and he thinks it’s a red. I’m okay with that, and I think it takes away that dubiety after the game.
“Yes, people debate it, but he’s looked at the monitor, he’s seen it in real time, he’s seen it in slow motion and he thinks it’s a red card.
“At the time, in real time, I thought it could have been a red card. So, no discussion for me, it was a red card. VAR played a massive part in us going down to 10 men but I’m more than happy with that.”
