Livingston were a bit of a bogey team for Celtic last season.
The Hoops dispatched the West Lothian side 3-1 on ‘Trophy Day’ at Parkhead while they were under the stewardship of Kenny Miller, but his replacement Gary Holt made things much more of a struggle.
Holt’s Lions held us in both of our clashes last season and stopped us scoring in both the Almondvale and Celtic Park meetings.
Celtic must be up for Sunday’s clash against Livingston
We travel back to Livi’s home this Sunday for just the second time in 12 years, and it promises to be another toughy. Holt may have lost a number of the components of his side from last year but their departures have done little to halt Livi’s steady rise.
Heroes from last season like Craig Halkett and Liam Kelly have been replaced by the likes of Lyndon Dykes and Marvin Bartley – two players who have already proven their worth this season.
Of all the places to go after a midweek European clash, the plastic pitch at the Tony Macaroni Arena is probably one of the toughest. Holt’s side will make life difficult for us on the day when we will be allowed little or no passengers.
We failed to perform on our one and only visit to West Lothian last year and a repeat would not be advisable. Lennon may look to guard against complacency by freshening things up from Thursday night’s clash against Cluj.
But whatever happens in that European clash, it will be the game against Livingston that sets the mood for the international break. It may not be the biggest game of the week but it is arguably the most important.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
