St. Mirren vs Celtic Prediction: Determined Celtic to show supremacy again

Celtic will journey to Paisley for their last Scottish Premiership match in three-and-a-half weeks, where they will encounter St Mirren at the SMISA Stadium on Tuesday. Brendan Rodgers's team, buoyed by their recent Old Firm triumph in the closing game of 2023 on Saturday, aims to sustain a commanding lead at the summit in this upcoming fixture.

St Mirren aims to build on their recent success, following a 0-3 triumph against Aberdeen in the Premiership. In that match, St Mirren had 33% possession and made 10 attempts at goal, with 5 of them on target. Mark O'Hara (12'), Jonah Ayunga (78'), and Greg Kiltie (93') were the goal-scorers for St Mirren. Aberdeen, on the other hand, had 18 shots at goal, with 3 on target.

Despite their recent victory, St Mirren has struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities in their latest games, managing only 2 goals in their last six fixtures while conceding 6. Reviewing their recent record, St Mirren has not secured a win against Celtic in their last 4 league matches and has been without a victory at home in the past 2 league games.

Celtic was aware that anything but a win in the derby against Rangers would put their bitter rivals in a favorable position due to their games in hand. Nevertheless, the Hoops maintained their excellent recent record against Rangers, securing a 2-1 victory at Parkhead and extending their lead to eight points at the top of the Premiership. Remarkable goals from Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo Furuhashi in each half paved the way for Celtic, although a late scare ensued when James Tavernier's free kick brought the 10 men of Rangers back into contention. This marked Celtic's third consecutive home derby win, and with additional victories against Livingston and Dundee around Christmas, Rodgers's side now boasts a three-game winning streak in the league.

After back-to-back defeats to Kilmarnock and Hearts had allowed Rangers to narrow the gap to five points with two games in hand, Celtic has once again moved clear. As they approach the winter break, the visitors' objective will be to at least maintain the eight-point gap, if not extend it, especially if they receive support from Kilmarnock, who faces Rangers earlier in the day.

St. Mirren Possible Lineup

Zach Hemming, James Bolton, Alexandros Gogic, Richard Taylor, Marcus Fraser, Keanu Baccus, Mark O'Hara, Scott Tanser, Lewis Jamieson, Greg Kiltie and Mikael Mandron

Celtic Possible Lineup

Joe Hart, Alistair Johnston, Stephen Welsh, Liam Scales, Greg Taylor, Matt O'Riley, Callum McGregor, Paulo Bernardo, Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma

Celtic has secured significant victories in Paisley over the recent years, and St Mirren has frequently been a favorable opponent, making this upcoming fixture likely to follow a similar pattern. Despite St Mirren's positive return to form during the weekend, this may not be the ideal fixture the hosts had hoped for as a follow-up. A challenging evening could be on the horizon for them against the league leaders.