Motherwell will make the short journey to the east end of Glasgow on Sunday for the second meeting of the season with Celtic. An improvement on the first result would be welcome.
Back in August we suffered the home humiliation of a 5-2 defeat as the league season got underway at Fir Park. Stephen Robinson’s team was still adjusting to close season changes but the players soon found their rhythm and now find themselves holding third place in the league table.
With wins against Kilmarnock and Livingston secured last week Motherwell will feel entitled to take the game to their opponents whenever the opportunity arises. Use must be made of the pace in forward areas to relieve the inevitable pressure on the defence.
Stephen Robinson fielded an unchanged eleven in the last outing but there will be at least one alteration on Sunday as Liam Donnelly serves a one match ban. His booking at Ibrox triggered the suspension.
James Scott will hope that any part he plays in a Motherwell goal will attract better publicity than was evident on our last visit to Parkhead. On his first start in the league the 18 year old charged into attack when presented with the ball from a throw-in. Celtic expected the return of possession as the game resumed following an injury, instead Motherwell scored. Chaos ensued.
Celtic returned from their Europa league game in Rome with an impressive win thanks to a late goal. Their interest in the competition will now extend into the new year. The depth of Neil Lennon's squad will ensure that he can rest anyone still recovering from Thursday's match without weakening his team.
The Motherwell manager and players have used their pre-match interviews to indicate that they will go into the game with a fearless and positive attitude. However, the reality will be that for the majority of the contest we will defend. A 2-0 defeat may be on the cards.