Livingston vs Celtic — Match Preview
Boxing Day football takes center stage at the “Spaghettiad” on Friday, 26 December 2025. Livingston, currently rock bottom of the Premiership in 12th place with just 9 points, face a daunting task against the champions. The Lions are winless in their last five, managing only a single draw against Dundee in that run. Celtic, sitting 2nd with 35 points, breathed a massive sigh of relief last week by beating Aberdeen 3–1, snapping a shocking four-game losing streak across all competitions. Brendan Rodgers’ side knows they cannot afford any slip-ups on the artificial surface if they want to reclaim the top spot.
Livingston vs Celtic — Match Info
- Competition: Scottish Premiership (Matchday 18)
- Venue: The Home of the Set Fare Arena (Almondvale), Livingston (Capacity: 9,713)
- Date: Friday, 26 December 2025
- Kickoff: 15:00 GMT
- Referee: Matthew MacDermid (SCO)
Livingston vs Celtic — Match Stakes
Livingston (12th — 9 pts):
- Win → A miracle result; would double their win tally for the season and lift morale significantly
- Draw → A massive point in the survival battle; keeps them in touch with 11th place
- Loss → Remains anchored to the bottom; gap to safety likely widens
Celtic (2nd — 35 pts):
- Win → Moves to 38 pts; builds momentum after the Aberdeen win and keeps pressure on the league leaders
- Draw → Disastrous; viewed as two points dropped against the league’s worst team
- Loss → Unthinkable; would reignite the crisis talk and likely see them drift further from the title
Livingston vs Celtic — Team News
Livingston:
- Nouble J. — Available (Key physical threat)
- Pittman S. — Available (Midfield engine)
- George S. — Available (Goalkeeper expected to be busy)
- Defensive Approach: Manager David Martindale is expected to deploy a low block (5-4-1) to frustrate Celtic.
Celtic:
- McGregor C. — Available (Captain returned to form vs Aberdeen)
- Kyogo F. — Available (Looking to add to his tally)
- Kuhn N. — Available (Creative spark)
- CCV (Carter-Vickers) — Available (Defensive leader essential for physical battles)
Livingston vs Celtic — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Livingston
- 20/12 — 0–1 vs St. Mirren (Premiership)
- 13/12 — 2–2 vs Dundee FC (Premiership)
- 06/12 — 0–3 vs Motherwell (Premiership)
- 30/11 — 0–1 vs Aberdeen (Premiership)
- 22/11 — 1–2 vs Rangers (Premiership)
Celtic
- 21/12 — 3–1 vs Aberdeen (Premiership)
- 18/12 — 1–2 vs Dundee Utd (Premiership)
- 14/12 — 1–3 vs St. Mirren (League Cup)
- 12/12 — 0–3 vs AS Roma (Europa League)
- 07/12 — 1–2 vs Hearts (Premiership)
Livingston vs Celtic — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 23/08/2025 — Celtic 3–0 Livingston (Premiership)
- 31/03/2024 — Livingston 0–3 Celtic (Premiership)
- 10/03/2024 — Celtic 4–2 Livingston (Scottish Cup)
- 23/12/2023 — Celtic 2–0 Livingston (Premiership)
- 23/09/2023 — Livingston 0–3 Celtic (Premiership)
Livingston vs Celtic — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Livingston (5-4-1)
George; Brandon, Nottingham, Obileye, Devlin, Penrice; Shinnie, Pittman, Holt, Kelly; Nouble
Celtic (4-3-3)
Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; McGregor, Hatate, Bernardo; Kuhn, Kyogo, Maeda
Livingston vs Celtic — Impact Bench
Livingston: Anderson (Striker option), Montaño (Pace/Power)
Celtic: Idah (Physical presence), Forrest (Experience)
Livingston vs Celtic — Tactical Analysis
Livingston
The game plan is simple: survive. Livingston will pack the defense, clog the middle of the pitch, and try to force Celtic wide. On the narrow, artificial pitch, they will hope the ball runs slow to disrupt Celtic’s passing rhythm. Their only outlet will be long balls to Joel Nouble, hoping he can hold it up and win set-pieces.
Celtic
Brendan Rodgers will demand quick ball circulation. The win against Aberdeen showed a return to their high-pressing best. Against a deep block, the movement of Kyogo and the 1v1 ability of Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda will be vital. Patience is key; if they score early, the floodgates could open. If it stays 0-0 for an hour, anxiety will creep in.
Livingston vs Celtic — Key Battles
- Nouble vs Carter-Vickers — pure strength vs strength battle
- Pittman vs McGregor — stopping the Celtic captain from dictating play
- Obileye vs Kyogo — physical defender vs elusive movement
- George vs The Celtic Attack — Livi keeper needs a 10/10 performance
Livingston vs Celtic — Spotlight Players
Livingston — Shamal George
The goalkeeper is the last line of defense. With Celtic averaging nearly 2 goals a game and Livi conceding 32 this season, George will likely face 20+ shots. He needs to be heroic.
Celtic — Nicolas Kuhn
The winger has become a key creative outlet. On a tight pitch where space is limited, his ability to dribble past defenders in the box could be the key to unlocking Livingston’s defense.
Livingston vs Celtic — Prediction
Livingston 0–3 Celtic
Celtic have an incredible recent record against Livingston (winning the last two league visits 3–0). Livingston are in terrible form and struggling to score. After finally snapping their losing streak against Aberdeen, Celtic should have too much quality and confidence for the league’s bottom side.
Livingston vs Celtic — Betting Insights
- Celtic to Win (-1.5 Handicap) — High Probability
- Celtic Clean Sheet — Yes
- Over 2.5 Goals — Likely
Livingston vs Celtic — Where to Watch
- UK: Sky Sports Football
- International: Celtic TV (Subscribers)
Livingston vs Celtic — FAQs
Q: When is the Livingston vs Celtic match?
A: The match kicks off on Friday, 26 December 2025 (Boxing Day), at 15:00 GMT.
Q: Why is the pitch a talking point?
A: Livingston play on an artificial surface, which often plays differently than natural grass, though Celtic have won comfortably there recently.
Q: Is Celtic top of the league?
A: No, they are currently 2nd, trailing the leaders (likely Rangers or Aberdeen based on context) but have a game in hand or are chasing points.
Call to Action — SportsphereArena Community
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