Celtic resume their Scottish Premiership campaign against Heart of Midlothian this weekend and will hope to maintain their flawless start to proceedings.
With four games gone, the Bhoys have racked up four victories, scored 12 times, and kept a clean sheet in every passing fixture.
Brendan Rodgers couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season. Celtic were flying before the international break and still have new signings such as Arne Engels, Luke McCowan and Auston Trusty to integrate into the starting line-up fully.
Heart of Midlothian make their way to Glasgow on a run of six straight defeats across all competitions. Steven Naismith has warned his side they will need to ‘guard against’ the threat the Bhoys pose amid the contrasting starts of both sides.
However, Celtic cannot afford to become complacent. Early momentum is ultimately meaningless if it isn’t followed up on the other side of the international break.
Celtic and the need to maintain their bright league start
Yesterday, 67 Hail Hail spoke about the increased fixture schedule Celtic will face amid their involvement in the Champions League from next midweek onwards.
With Slovan Bratislava to come on Wednesday, there is potential for changes against Hearts following niggles sustained by Alistair Johnston, Greg Taylor and James Forrest on international duty, alongside giving new signings time to acclimatise on the pitch.
No matter which way Rodgers chooses to navigate his starting line-up, there is a lot at stake this weekend and Celtic need to bring the same intensity to the table after a blistering start.
Should the Bhoys claim three points against Hearts, Rangers would be eight points behind their rivals going into a difficult away tie against Dundee United the following day.
With the heat already on Philippe Clement’s side, being plunged into further uncertainty could help build a handy buffer in the race for the title at an early stage. Aberdeen are also a threat not to take lightly after their positive beginnings under Jimmy Thelin.
Nevertheless, Celtic are the team to beat in Scotland. Everyone knows the level at which Rodgers’ side is performing this term. Laying down another market against Hearts helps to plant the seed that the reigning champions will be a formidable opponent for anyone to try and topple.
Generating momentum for the start of the Champions League campaign is also paramount. Confidence is high at the club; they can’t afford to let it slip with stiff tests to come over the next few months.
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