Celtic will be looking to remain at least nine points clear at the close of play this weekend when they face Kilmarnock on Saturday.
A late Kyogo Furuhashi goal saw Celtic claim a point in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Rangers at the Ibrox in the Hoops' last outing, with the point keeping the gap between the sides at nine points at the top of the table. The draw ended Ange Postecoglou's side's 12-game winning streak in the Scottish Premiership, and they will look to get back to winning ways against Derek McInnes' men this weekend.
The Hoops are unbeaten in their last 10 games against Kilmarnock, with the aggregate scoreline of the last three clashes ending 11-0 to Celtic. Saturday's game will be the first of two meetings in two weeks between the two sides, with the Hoops facing Killie in the Scottish League Cup semi-final next week.
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So, how could the Hoops fare against Kilmarnock on Saturday? We simulated the game to try and find out.
Celtic vs Kilmarnock simulated
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the Celtic squad with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Celtic could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Bernabei; Hatate, McGregor, Mooy; Maeda, Kyogo, Jota.
We predict that the visitors could set up in a 3-5-2 formation, with their line-up as follows: Walker; Wright, Talor, Mayo; Armstrong, Polworth, Alston, McKenzie, Chrisene; Doige, Robinson.
Celtic dominated the first half, with the hosts causing all sorts of problems when going forward whilst shutting out the visitors' threat at the back. Kyogo and Jota both came close in the opening 20 minutes with the latter striking the post, but the hosts eventually took the lead through Reo Hatate before the break.
After picking up the ball deep in the Kilmarnock half, Hatate surged forward, exchanging passes with Kyogo and Aaron Mooy to break into the box. When in the area, some intricate passing play between the midfielder and Daizen Maeda found Hatate just a few yards from goal, and the Japanese international swept his effort past the 'keeper and into the net for the lead.
Kilmarnock failed to register a shot in the first half, and the second half continued in the same fashion, with Celtic in full control. Interestingly, most chances were falling to the midfielders due to some poor marking from the visitors, and it was Mooy who doubled the lead in the 59th minute after finishing off a well-worked move.
As Kilmarnock tried to play out of the back, Callum McGregor's press saw the hosts win back possession, and the Scotsman found Mooy's bursting run forward with a perfectly placed through ball. His pass found Mooy who ran in behind the Killie backline unmarked, and the midfielder placed a first-time finish into the bottom corner for 2-0.
Kyogo came close moments after the Mooy goal when he intercepted a poor pass from the goalkeeper, but the striker could only find the side netting from a tight angle. Postecoglou's side pushed for a third despite their dominant lead, and it was Hatate who got on the scoresheet again with seven minutes remaining to confirm the victory for Celtic.
A long ball from Cameron Carter-Vickers found Kyogo making the run forward on the left, and a cheeky nutmeg saw the striker break towards goal. As Kyogo looked to shoot, he opted to square the ball to Hatate who entered the box unmarked again, and the midfielder had a simple tap-in to grab his second of the afternoon.
FIFA 23 predicted score: Celtic 3-0 Kilmarnock
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Celtic could continue their impressive recent form against Kilmarnock, winning 3-0 in the simulation. A Hatate brace, either side of Mooy's strike, secured the victory, potentially showing how important the midfield could be for Celtic in Saturday's clash.
What do you think the score will be between Celtic and Kilmarnock on Saturday? Let us know in the comments!
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