Hearts vs Celtic

Newly-promoted Hearts and last season’s Premiership runners-up Celtic will lock horns at the Tynecastle Stadium in their opening 2021/22 Scottish Premiership fixture.

Hearts strolled to the top place in their respective League Cup group with all four victories to start the new competitive season in high spirits. The ‘Jam Tarts’ have returned to the Scottish top-flight after spending last year in the Championship, finishing top of the standings with a 12-point lead over closest followers. Despite being underdogs ahead of the kick-off, Robbie Neilson’s men have racked up an encouraging nine-match unbeaten streak in all competitions (W7, D2), meaning they should head into proceedings full of confidence. What’s more, they have won their last four competitive home games by an aggregate score of 13-0. However, six consecutive defeats against Celtic in the Premiership might whittle down the excitement, especially considering four of those losses yielded a full-time margin of 2+ goals.

On the other hand, Celtic will be desperate to hit the ground running in the Premiership following another fiasco in the Champions League qualifying. Ange Postecoglou’s men failed to overcome Danish side Midtjylland in the second qualifying round after losing the second leg in Denmark in extra-time (1-1 H, 1-2 A). Additionally, the ‘Hoops’ are winless in their last five away Premiership fixtures (D3, L2), a sequence that saw them draw a blank on three occasions. Another incentive for Celtic to go back to winning ways is that they surrendered the league crown to Rangers last season after conquering the division nine times in a row beforehand. The visitors can find some courage in winning each of their previous four trips to Hears across all competitions, netting 2+ goals on each occasion.