Digressive Celts

Matches › 2026/27

Celtic v Aberdeen

Saturday 20 March 2027, 15:00 · Celtic Park · Round 31

Forecast

CelticAberdeen
Expected goals2.660.65
Win80%6%
Expected Points2.530.33
Clean sheet52%7%

Celtic 80%Draw 14%Aberdeen 6%

Most likely score 2–0, 13%. Both sides score 45%.

Aberdeen goalsCeltic goals0123456+0123456+4%2%7%2%8%3%7%2%8%5%2%4%3%3%2%9%13%11%

From the forecast as it stood on 11 October 2026: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page.

Form

Celtic

  1. W2–011 OctMotherwell (A)xG 2.85–1.10
  2. L0–120 SepRangers (H)xG 0.39–1.81
  3. W1–09 SepSt. Johnstone (A)xG 1.80–0.69
  4. W2–15 SepSt. Mirren (A)xG 3.19–1.95
  5. W3–02 SepAberdeen (H)xG 2.67–0.68
  6. W2–129 AugFalkirk (H)xG 3.45–0.57

Aberdeen

  1. L0–111 OctSt. Johnstone (H)xG 1.23–1.10
  2. D1–119 SepHibernian (A)xG 0.70–1.40
  3. W4–015 SepMotherwell (A)xG 0.90–0.85
  4. D0–05 SepKilmarnock (H)xG 1.08–1.11
  5. L0–32 SepCeltic (A)xG 0.68–2.67
  6. L0–130 AugRangers (H)xG 0.35–2.10

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

Season to date

CelticAberdeen
Position1st8th
Played88
Won, drawn, lost7–⁠0–⁠12–⁠2–⁠4
Points21 (2.62 per game)8 (1.00 per game)
Expected Points per game2.250.98
Goals16–⁠47–⁠9
xG per game2.76–⁠1.031.04–⁠1.61
Home: points, xG per game2.25, 2.19–⁠0.891.00, 1.33–⁠1.54
Away: points, xG per game3.00, 3.33–⁠1.181.00, 0.75–⁠1.69
ManagerMartin O'Neill (26)Stephen Robinson (17)

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

Ratings

0.51.01.52.0League average 1.34AttackCeltic2.11, 1stAberdeen1.11, 10thDefence (lower is better)Celtic0.88, 1stAberdeen1.47, 9th

This season

Attack0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctCeltic attack: 2.11Aberdeen attack: 1.112.111.11AberdeenCelticDefence (lower is better)0.51.01.52.02.5AugSepOctCeltic defence: 0.88Aberdeen defence: 1.471.470.88

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

CelticAberdeen
CreatedConcededCreatedConceded
Open play+121%−47%−50%−14%
Counter-attacks+175%−28%−64%+24%
Set pieces−21%−4%+30%−7%
Penalties−100%−40%−40%+80%
Headers+132%−24%+56%−23%
Left side+164%−64%−61%+11%
Centre+93%−6%−32%−41%
Right side+25%−48%−7%+28%

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

Celtic attacking

Celtic createdAberdeen concededLeft side+164%+28%Centre+93%−41%Right side+25%+11%Open play+121%−14%Counter-attacks+175%+24%Set pieces−21%−7%Headers+132%−23%

Aberdeen attacking

Aberdeen createdCeltic concededLeft side−61%−48%Centre−32%−6%Right side−7%−64%Open play−50%−47%Counter-attacks−64%−28%Set pieces+30%−4%Headers+56%−24%

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

CelticAberdeen

2.76xG1.04
1.03xG against1.61
62%Possession48%
20.6Shots11.5
10.9Shots against15.9
9.1Shots on target2.9
5.0Big chances1.5
39.5Touches in the opposition box22.0
620Passes399
88%Pass accuracy78%
9.4Corners6.1
68%Field tilt42%
62.3Final-third entries38.6
24.5Box entries12.5
13.0Passes per defensive action14.0

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

Celtic

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level262.061.25
Ahead543.220.93
Behind112.161.05

Aberdeen

StateMinutes per gamexG per 90xG against per 90
Level390.971.61
Ahead120.841.56
Behind391.171.64

xG by period

Celtic

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.330.134–0
16–300.420.241–1
31–450.550.234–1
46–600.590.075–1
61–750.340.212–1
76–900.540.150–0

Aberdeen

MinutesxG per gamexG againstGoals
1–150.030.220–3
16–300.120.221–0
31–450.120.401–3
46–600.120.161–1
61–750.160.350–2
76–900.490.264–0

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

Most used players by position

Celtic

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

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (6), 3-4-3 (1), 4-1-4-1 (1)

Aberdeen

GKRWBCBCBCBLWBCMCMCMSTSTMüller 8Cadden 7Lyons 1Mayo 6Milne 2Knoester 4Guinness… 1Guinness-WalkerOlusanya 1Molloy 4Happe 4Guinness… 7Guinness-WalkerCadden 1Ronan 5Olusanya 2Armstrong 2Aremu 7Briedl 2Marshall 3Yogane 1Yogane 3Mouloua 2Olusanya 2Nisbet 85-3-2 in 3 of 8 starts

Formations: 5-3-2 (3), 4-2-3-1 (2), 3-5-2 (1), 4-1-3-2 (1), 3-4-1-2 (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: Celtic won 18, Aberdeen won 0, and 4 were drawn. Goals 58–16 and xG 2.41–0.87 per game.

Key players

Celtic

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Nygren7564430.660.23
Durán7531430.490.32
Baur5460100.300.14
Scales6536100.100.15

Aberdeen

PlayerStartsMinGAxG per 90xA per 90
Nisbet8632410.340.04
Mayo6471010.240.01
Olusanya5501000.110.05
Guinness-Walker8675000.010.11

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