Celtic will be looking to kick off the season with a win and all three points, after seeing the Rangers come from behind to beat Livingston 2-1 in their Premiership opener. While it was not a convincing display from Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side at all, they have put points on the board, and now the onus is on the Hoops to match them. That is going to be easier said than done though as Jim Goodwin’s Aberdeen will be standing in their way.
Aberdeen have showcased some excellent form this season till now and as a result, they should be confident of their chances ahead of their Flag Day game against Celtic at Parkhead.
The Dons are coming off of a terrible 2021/22 campaign and will be keen to bounce back this time around. And taking points off of the defending champions in the opening game would be a statement of intent on their part.
Of course, Parkhead is expected to be rocking as Ange Postecoglou’s side begin their Premiership title defence but Goodwin has claimed that his team have got no fear about the occasion. As reported by The Press and Journal, the Aberdeen manager said:
"“The new signings have all settled in very, very well and they’ve got no fear of Celtic.“We’ve got players who haven’t played at Parkhead before who have never experienced that atmosphere.“And these boys are really excited about it.“This is the reason they came to Scotland, to play at venues like Parkhead in big games like this against international quality players.“It’s going to be a great test for the young group of players we’ve got here, but one that they’re certainly not going to shy away from.“It doesn’t bother me whether we play Celtic in the first game or the 10th game.“You’ve got to play everybody at some point.“We’re not going to be fearful at all.”"
Aberdeen manager makes huge claim before facing Celtic at Parkhead
It is safe to say that Celtic will have to be careful of this Aberdeen side, who look capable of springing a surprise on their day. One can only hope that Postecoglou’s side will be on top of their game.
The Hoops are coming off of an undefeated pre-season, but then, they faced some problems as well, drawing half of their games. Thus, things were not perfect by any stretch of the imagination.
Celtic had lost three of their first six league games last season, and they must be keen to avoid repeating that this time around. With how tight the title race is expected to be, they cannot afford a sloppy start.