Digressive Celts

Matches › 2026/27

Aberdeen v Celtic

Sunday 20 December 2026, 12:00 · Pittodrie Stadium · Round 19

Forecast

AberdeenCeltic
Expected goals0.872.07
Win14%65%
Expected Points0.642.15
Clean sheet13%42%

Aberdeen 14%Draw 21%Celtic 65%

Most likely score 0–2, 11%. Both sides score 51%.

Celtic goalsAberdeen goals0123456+0123456+6%8%4%2%4%7%4%1%2%4%4%3%2%1%1%10%11%10%10%

From the forecast as it stood on 18 October 2026: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page. How the forecasts work.

Form

Aberdeen

  1. W3–117 OctSt. Mirren (H)xG 2.83–1.03
  2. L0–111 OctSt. Johnstone (H)xG 1.23–1.10
  3. D1–119 SepHibernian (A)xG 0.70–1.40
  4. W4–015 SepMotherwell (A)xG 0.90–0.85
  5. D0–05 SepKilmarnock (H)xG 1.08–1.11
  6. L0–32 SepCeltic (A)xG 0.68–2.67

Celtic

  1. W7–118 OctHearts (H)xG 4.23–1.20
  2. W2–011 OctMotherwell (A)xG 2.85–1.10
  3. L0–120 SepRangers (H)xG 0.39–1.81
  4. W1–09 SepSt. Johnstone (A)xG 1.80–0.69
  5. W2–15 SepSt. Mirren (A)xG 3.19–1.95
  6. W3–02 SepAberdeen (H)xG 2.67–0.68

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

Season to date

AberdeenCeltic
Position7th1st
Played99
Won, drawn, lost3–⁠2–⁠48–⁠0–⁠1
Points11 (1.22 per game)24 (2.67 per game)
Expected Points per game1.152.31
Goals10–⁠1023–⁠5
xG per game1.24–⁠1.552.93–⁠1.05
Home: points, xG per game1.40, 1.63–⁠1.432.40, 2.60–⁠0.95
Away: points, xG per game1.00, 0.75–⁠1.693.00, 3.33–⁠1.18
ManagerStephen Robinson (18)Martin O'Neill (27)

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

Ratings

0.51.01.52.02.5League average 1.35AttackAberdeen1.15, 9thCeltic2.17, 1stDefence (lower is better)Aberdeen1.44, 7thCeltic0.88, 1st

This season

Attack0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctAberdeen attack: 1.15Celtic attack: 2.172.171.15CelticAberdeenDefence (lower is better)0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctAberdeen defence: 1.44Celtic defence: 0.881.440.88

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

AberdeenCeltic
CreatedConcededCreatedConceded
Open play−43%−16%+121%−48%
Counter-attacks−68%+11%+195%−35%
Set pieces+42%−14%−8%+5%
Penalties+14%+71%−100%−43%
Headers+49%−31%+164%−27%
Left side−57%+2%+159%−62%
Centre−18%−39%+87%−13%
Right side−10%+19%+61%−42%

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.

Matchups

Aberdeen attacking

Aberdeen createdCeltic concededLeft side−57%−42%Centre−18%−13%Right side−10%−62%Open play−43%−48%Counter-attacks−68%−35%Set pieces+42%+5%Headers+49%−27%

Celtic attacking

Celtic createdAberdeen concededLeft side+159%+19%Centre+87%−39%Right side+61%+2%Open play+121%−16%Counter-attacks+195%+11%Set pieces−8%−14%Headers+164%−31%

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

AberdeenCeltic

1.24xG2.93
1.55xG against1.05
46%Possession60%
12.1Shots20.3
15.6Shots against11.9
3.3Shots on target9.2
1.8Big chances5.2
21.9Touches in the opposition box38.2
385Passes605
77%Pass accuracy88%
5.7Corners9.0
42%Field tilt68%
38.6Final-third entries62.3
12.5Box entries24.5
14.0Passes per defensive action13.0

Per league match this season before kick-off. Field tilt, entries, and passes per defensive action cover 8 and 8 of those matches.

Game state this season

Aberdeen

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level371.391.54
Ahead191.071.41
Behind341.171.64

Celtic

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level242.231.23
Ahead573.340.98
Behind102.161.05

xG by period

Aberdeen

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.030.191–3
16–300.110.261–0
31–450.120.371–4
46–600.300.152–1
61–750.150.311–2
76–900.520.264–0

Celtic

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.400.126–0
16–300.400.251–1
31–450.710.247–2
46–600.570.076–1
61–750.310.202–1
76–900.540.161–0

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

Most used players by position

Aberdeen

GKRWBCBCBCBLWBCMCMCMSTSTMüller 9Cadden 8Lyons 1Mayo 7Milne 2Knoester 5Guinness… 1Guinness-WalkerOlusanya 1Molloy 4Happe 4Guinness… 8Guinness-WalkerCadden 1Ronan 5Olusanya 2Lyons 2Aremu 8Briedl 2Marshall 3Smith 2Yogane 1Olusanya 3Mouloua 2Ntelo 1Nisbet 9Yogane 35-3-2 in 3 of 9 starts

Formations: 5-3-2 (3), 4-1-3-2 (2), 4-2-3-1 (2), 3-5-2 (1), 3-4-1-2 (1)

Celtic

GKRBCBCBLBDMDMRWAMLWSTSinisalo 8Johnstone 1Donovan 6Johnston 2Carter-Vickers 1Carter-Vickers 5Murray 3Trusty 6Scales 4Tierney 6Scales 3McGregor 8Baur 6Oxlade-Chamberlain 2Engels 2Hassan 5Durán 3McCowan 1Nygren 7Donovan 1Sørensen 1Yang 5Tounekti 2Nygren 1Durán 5Høgh 44-2-3-1 in 7 of 9 starts

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (7), 3-4-3 (1), 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

DateHomeAwayxG
2 September 2026Celtic3–0AberdeenxG 2.67–0.68
4 March 2026Aberdeen1–2CelticxG 1.42–1.90
21 December 2025Celtic3–1AberdeenxG 4.72–0.91
10 August 2025Aberdeen0–2CelticxG 0.55–1.17
14 May 2025Aberdeen1–5CelticxG 1.07–3.68
25 February 2025Celtic5–1AberdeenxG 2.72–0.85

22 league meetings since 2020/21: Aberdeen won 0, Celtic won 18, and 4 were drawn. Goals 16–58 and xG 0.87–2.41 per game.

Key players

Aberdeen

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Nisbet9722510.590.03
Armstrong3456000.030.23
Mayo7561010.220.00
Olusanya6572000.100.05

Celtic

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Nygren8654630.730.23
Durán8591550.560.33
Tierney6459130.310.44
Baur6550100.290.19

Up to four players a side with the most xG plus xA per 90 minutes, from those with at least 450 league minutes.