Matches › 2026/27

St. Johnstone 0–1 Celtic

Wednesday 9 September 2026, 20:00 · McDiarmid Park · Round 3 · Half-time 0–0 · Referee Matthew MacDermid · Attendance 9,879

Celtic Baur 52'

Post-match

Result and Expected Points

Measure	St. Johnstone	Celtic
Goals	0	1
xG	0.69	1.80
Expected Points	0.56	2.21

St. Johnstone 11%Draw 23%Celtic 66%

Most likely score 0–2, 15%. Final score 0–1, 15%.

Own goals have no xG.

xG race

Each side's xG added up shot by shot through the match. Stoppage time is shaded as far as the last shot or event recorded in it. Triangles along the foot mark each side's substitutions.

Match stats

St. JohnstoneCeltic

0.69 −0.89xG1.80 −1.61

0.99 −0.62xG on target2.71 −0.69

9 −2Shots14 −10

3 −0.6Shots on target9 −0.6

1 −1.6Big chances5 −1.4

14 −8Touches in the opposition box40 +1

39% −13Possession61% −1

386 −105Passes591 −43

78% −4Pass accuracy90% +1

34% −26Field tilt66% −7

25 −23Final-third entries57 −7

8 −5Box entries24 −1

29.5 +13Passes per defensive action16.2 +4

2 −1.8Corners11 +1.6

10 −4Tackles9 −6

6 −2.4Interceptions5 −4.0

48 +16Clearances34 +12

8 +4.8Saves3 0.0

13 +3Fouls9 −1

0 −1.4Offsides2 +1.2

The small figure beside each value is its difference from the side's average per league match this season before this one. Field tilt is each side's share of the open-play passes completed in the final third; entries are completed open-play passes and carries into the final third and the box; passes per defensive action (PPDA) counts the opponent's passes in its own 60% of the pitch for each tackle, interception, challenge, or foul there.

Chance locations

Zones Shots

St. Johnstone

Celtic

Each area's share of the side's xG from open play and set pieces, with the xG in it. The two wide areas of the box count together, as on the club pages. Shots shows each of those shots instead, sized by its xG, with goals filled in.

Chance types

St. JohnstoneCeltic

0.56 7 shots, 0 goalsOpen play1.44 11 shots, 1 goal

0.13 2 shots, 0 goalsSet pieces0.37 3 shots, 0 goals

xG by type of chance, with each side's shots and goals beside it.

Game state

0–00–1

Level: 52 min (55%) · St. Johnstone 0.45, Celtic 0.78 xG
Celtic ahead: 42 min (45%) · St. Johnstone 0.24, Celtic 1.02 xG

Line-ups

St. Johnstone substitutes

62' Paton for Fowler
62' Stanton for Holt
74' Schmidt for Steven
74' Fotheringham for Campbell
87' Tait for Cotterill

Celtic substitutes

67' Nygren for Sørensen
73' Durán for Tounekti
73' Forrest for Hassan
86' Mheuka for Høgh
87' Tierney for Scales

Players

St. Johnstone

Player	Pos	Min	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Steward	GK	90	0.00	0.00	0	0.03	3	1
Todd	RB	90	0.00	0.02	0	0.08	4	6
Finlayson	CB	90	0.00	0.00	0	0.01	1	15
Diabate	CB	90	0.12	0.01	0	0.04	3	9
Alić	LB	90	0.06	0.27	2	0.28	3	11
Holt	DM	62	0.00	0.00	0	−0.01	0	4
McAlear	DM	90	0.00	0.14	2	0.06	3	5
Campbell	RW	74	0.00	0.01	1	0.01	0	3
Cotterill	AM	87	0.24	0.04	0	0.01	2	2
Steven	LW	74	0.08	0.02	0	0.04	3	4
Fowler	ST	62	0.11	0.01	2	0.00	2	2
Paton	FW	28	0.10	0.01	1	−0.03	0	0
Stanton	FW	28	0.00	0.00	0	0.01	2	2
Schmidt	FW	16	0.00	0.01	0	0.02	1	2
Fotheringham	FW	16	0.00	0.01	0	0.00	0	2
Tait	MF	3	0.00	0.00	0	0.00	0	0

Celtic

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Johnstone	GK	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.02	2	1
Donovan	RB	90			0.00	0.06	0	0.12	5	11
Murray	CB	90			0.00	0.03	0	−0.05	5	13
Trusty	CB	90			0.00	0.02	0	0.07	2	7
Scales	LB	87			0.00	0.13	1	−0.09	4	3
McGregor	DM	90			0.11	0.05	0	0.08	1	2
Baur	DM	90	1		0.60	0.28	1	0.35	7	7
Hassan	RW	73		1	0.07	0.60	2	0.36	17	2
Sørensen	AM	67			0.03	0.12	1	−0.02	0	1
Tounekti	LW	73			0.07	0.23	1	0.25	16	0
Høgh	ST	86			0.20	0.09	2	−0.06	0	1
Nygren	MF	23			0.18	0.11	4	0.09	4	2
Durán	FW	17			0.00	0.00	0	0.00	0	0
Forrest	FW	17			0.12	0.20	1	0.28	5	0
Mheuka	FW	4			0.41	0.00	0	0.00	0	0
Tierney	DF	3			0.00	0.00	1	0.01	0	0

Starters, then substitutes in the order they came on. KP is chances created and Def defensive actions (tackles, blocks, clearances, and interceptions). xT is the expected threat added by the player's completed open-play passes and carries, and Prog counts progressive passes and carries.

Pass networks

St. Johnstone

Celtic

Each starter at the average position of their passes and receptions until the side's first substitution or red card, sized by completed passes. Lines join pairs who passed to each other often, thicker for more passes.

Passing combinations

St. Johnstone

From	To	Passes
Diabate	Steward	20
Finlayson	Todd	14
Steward	Diabate	12
McAlear	Finlayson	12
Diabate	McAlear	11

Celtic

From	To	Passes
Trusty	Murray	28
Murray	Donovan	25
Murray	Trusty	19
Donovan	Hassan	19
Trusty	Scales	18

The five pairs with the most completed passes from one to the other over the whole match.

Defensive actions

St. Johnstone

Against its average of 5 matches

Celtic

Against its average of 5 matches

Where each side made its tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocks, recoveries, challenges, and fouls, attacking up the page. Areas are shaded by the difference from the side's average per match this season before this one: amber for more, blue for fewer.

Threat

St. Johnstone

Celtic

Expected threat added by completed open-play passes and carries, by where the move started, attacking up the page. Expected threat is the chance that possession in an area leads to a goal; a move adds the difference between where it ends and where it starts.

Ratings

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday (ring) and after it (dot); a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs after the matchday, spread up and down only so they don't overlap. The change takes in the whole matchday.

League probabilities

Chance	Before	With this result	Change
St. Johnstone
Top six	19%	16%	−3
11th	15%	16%	+1
Bottom	16%	18%	+2
Celtic
Title	86%	88%	+2
Rangers
Title	13%	12%	−1
Hibernian
Top six	77%	77%	0

From the forecast before the match (9 September 2026): each chance then, and across the simulations in which the match ended this way. The change is in percentage points.

Pre-match

As things stood before kick-off.

Forecast

Measure	St. Johnstone	Celtic
Expected goals	0.82	2.31
Win	11%	70%
Expected Points	0.52	2.30
Clean sheet	10%	44%

St. Johnstone 11%Draw 18%Celtic 70%

Most likely score 0–2, 12%. Both sides score 51%.

From the forecast as it stood on 9 September 2026: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page.

League probabilities by result

Chance	Now	St. Johnstone win	Draw	Celtic win
St. Johnstone
Top six	19%	31%	22%	16%
11th	15%	10%	13%	16%
Bottom	16%	9%	13%	18%
Celtic
Title	86%	80%	82%	88%
Rangers
Title	13%	18%	17%	12%
Hibernian
Top six	77%	76%	74%	77%

Each chance before the match and across the simulations ending in each result. Other teams are listed where a chance moves by at least 3 percentage points.

Form

St. Johnstone

Celtic

The last six league matches, newest first, with xG for and against.

Season to date

Measure	St. Johnstone	Celtic
Position	7th	1st
Played	5	5
Won, drawn, lost	2–⁠1–⁠2	5–⁠0–⁠0
Points	7 (1.40 per game)	15 (3.00 per game)
Expected Points per game	1.28	2.61
Goals	8–⁠8	13–⁠3
xG per game	1.58–⁠1.68	3.41–⁠0.93
Home: points, xG per game	3.00, 2.17–⁠1.27	3.00, 2.79–⁠0.58
Away: points, xG per game	0.33, 1.18–⁠1.95	3.00, 4.34–⁠1.46
Manager	Simo Valakari (36)	Martin O'Neill (23)

League matches this season before kick-off. The manager's number is league matches in charge since 2020/21.

Ratings

This season

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday, with their rank among the league's clubs; a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs, spread up and down only so they don't overlap.

Strengths and weaknesses

Chances	St. Johnstone		Celtic
Chances	Created	Conceded	Created	Conceded
Open play	−11%	+3%	+158%	−53%
Counter-attacks	−33%	+3%	+154%	−50%
Set pieces	−6%	−5%	−24%	−26%
Penalties	+69%	−7%	−76%	−6%
Headers	+3%	+42%	+134%	−39%
Left side	−11%	−9%	+180%	−66%
Centre	+8%	−6%	+127%	−34%
Right side	−49%	+21%	+27%	−46%

xG created and conceded per game against the league average this season: +24% is 24% more than an average side. Left and right are each side's own, so chances conceded on its left come from opponents attacking down their right. Green favours the side and amber doesn't. Until a side has played six matches its figures are blended with last season's, or with the league average where there is no last season to use.

Matchups

St. Johnstone attacking

St. Johnstone createdCeltic concededLeft side−11%−46%Centre+8%−34%Right side−49%−66%Open play−11%−53%Counter-attacks−33%−50%Set pieces−6%−26%Headers+3%−39%

Celtic attacking

Celtic createdSt. Johnstone concededLeft side+180%+21%Centre+127%−6%Right side+27%−9%Open play+158%+3%Counter-attacks+154%+3%Set pieces−24%−5%Headers+134%+42%

Each side's xG created per game down each side of the pitch, through the centre, and from each type of chance, against what its opponent concedes there, both relative to the league average.

Season averages

St. JohnstoneCeltic

1.58xG3.41

1.68xG against0.93

52%Possession62%

11.4Shots24.2

12.4Shots against11.0

3.6Shots on target9.6

2.6Big chances6.4

22.0Touches in the opposition box39.0

491Passes634

83%Pass accuracy89%

3.8Corners9.4

60%Field tilt72%

47.6Final-third entries64.0

13.0Box entries25.4

16.1Passes per defensive action12.6

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

St. Johnstone

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	48	1.66	1.63
Ahead	19	1.37	2.25
Behind	23	1.55	1.32

Celtic

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	22	3.09	1.18
Ahead	62	3.34	0.90
Behind	6	5.37	0.28

xG by period

St. Johnstone

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.07	0.18	0–1
16–30	0.26	0.30	2–1
31–45	0.32	0.31	1–2
46–60	0.52	0.25	2–2
61–75	0.11	0.26	1–1
76–90	0.29	0.38	2–1

Celtic

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.46	0.20	3–0
16–30	0.61	0.27	1–1
31–45	0.83	0.09	4–0
46–60	0.48	0.08	3–1
61–75	0.49	0.12	2–1
76–90	0.54	0.17	0–0

Per game this season, with stoppage time counted in its half; goals are totals for and against.

Most used players by position

St. Johnstone

Formations: 4-4-2 (2), 4-2-3-1 (2), 4-3-3 (1)

Celtic

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (4), 4-1-4-1 (1)

This season's most used formation, with up to three players who started most often in each position and their league starts there. Underneath, when a side has used more than one, every formation with its starts.

Head to head

Date	Home	Score	Away	xG
6 April 2025	St. Johnstone	1–0	Celtic	xG 0.52–2.32
29 December 2024	Celtic	4–0	St. Johnstone	xG 4.68–0.06
28 September 2024	St. Johnstone	0–6	Celtic	xG 0.32–3.38
16 March 2024	Celtic	3–1	St. Johnstone	xG 4.02–0.73
3 December 2023	St. Johnstone	1–3	Celtic	xG 1.36–2.53
26 August 2023	Celtic	0–0	St. Johnstone	xG 2.02–0.28

16 league meetings since 2020/21: St. Johnstone won 1, Celtic won 13, and 2 were drawn. Goals 9–47 and xG 0.57–2.66 per game.

Key players

St. Johnstone

Player	Starts	Min	G	xG per 90	xA per 90
Diabate	5	450	1	0.07	0.02
Mitchell	5	450	0	0.00	0.07
Steward	5	450	0	0.00	0.00

Celtic

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Nygren	34	2,943	19	8	0.51	0.28
Forrest	3	855	1	1	0.27	0.40
Yang	33	2,451	10	1	0.38	0.16
McCowan	12	1,275	2	1	0.20	0.30

Up to four players a side with the most xG plus xA per 90 minutes, from those with at least 450 league minutes. Until a side has played six matches, last season's minutes at the club count too.