Rodgers' Capital Quest I: Tynecastle

Rodgers' Capital Quest I: Tynecastle
~~~~~~~~~~ Official TC Match Preview ~~~~~~~~~~


May: Kyogo scores in the 2-0 win that secured the Premiership title on the last visit to Tynecastle


Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh
Sunday, 22 October 2023
14.15 GMT
(Note BST ends this weekend)

Celtic will be looking to record a 6th straight win this weekend in what has been an unbeaten start to the Premiership campaign, when they travel through to Edinburgh to take on 4th placed Hearts.

Celtic made this same trip three times last season. First came 12 months ago, when the Bhoys secured a 4-3 victory when VAR was first introduced, then a 3-0 win on Scottish Cup duty followed by a 2-0 win, which cinched the League title in May.

But there has been quite a bit of change since then, as the Bhoys continue to adapt to the way that Brendan Rodgers has asked of them. But it cannot be understated how tricky - and crucial - the next few weeks are for Celtic, and for Rodgers personnally, with a Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid sandwiched between two visits to Edinburgh - a city that Rodgers has serious struggles in.

Indeed, it could be said this will really put Brendan Rodgers to the test, as he aims to rectify his record in the Capital. And with a visit to Easter Road lined up for just a week after this game - where his personal record is even worse - this is a trend that cannot be ignored.

During his first tenure, Rodgers' Celtic won 3 of their 5 visits to Tyncastle, however upon closer inspection there is a cause for concern, having lost 2 of his past 3 visits there.

The fact is, from the start of the 2017/18 season to Rodgers' departure in February 2019, Celtic won just 1 and lost 4 of his last 6 visits to Edinburgh, at both Easter Road and Tynecastle combined.​

Reo Hatate was at his best in the 3-1 win over Killie before the International break

The Hoops will be taking on a Hearts side that has had what could be described as a bumpy start to the season, having been knocked out of European competition and amid managerial uncertainty, while their Premiership results have likewise proved mixed, while coping with an extensive injury list.

But there are signs of them perhaps turning the corner, having won 3 of their last 5 games. Indeed, their last game before the break was the Edinburgh derby, which Hearts dominated and on the balance of play probably deserved to win, but for a 2 minute period midway through the second half, during which Hibs scored twice to grab a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw.

And the hosts are hopeful they will have a number of players back, which will add to the depth of options that Steven Naismith will have available, potentially for this weekend but for the bigger picture of the majority of the campaign that is still to be played.

Given his own personal previous record, hopefully the recent International break will have afforded Rodgers more than enough time to devise a winning gameplan and properly prepare the Bhoys for this fixture - as a priority not only for the sake of this clash, but importantly, this being the only chance to fine tune ahead of hosting Spanish side, Atletico Madrid, next week.

By the Numbers​

• The Bhoys have won each of the past 9 meetings between these sides, across all competitions.

• The Hoops have won 7 of their past 8 visits away at Tynecastle.

• Both sides are undefeated in league games in which they have scored first this season.

• Hearts have been slow starters to games so far, having scored just 3 goals in total across the first 60 minutes of their first 8 Premiership matches this season.

Team News

There are a couple of selection headaches for Brendan Rodgers ahead of this game and will have close to a full squad to choose from.

The return to fitness of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Nat Phillips along with the news that fellow defender Maik Nawrocki has also resumed training during the break, meaning there are no shortage of options for Rodgers at the back now.

There was some doubts over Daizen Maeda, who withdrew from International duty with Japan 'through injury', although there was never anything further mentioned about it, but Rodgers has indicated that only Stephen Welsh (ankle) and Liel Abada (thigh) being sidelined through injury, which suggests Maeda should also be available.

As for the hosts, there are questions over the availability of Yutaro Oda, Barrie McKay and Alex Cochrane, all of whom are reportedly close to a return - even as soon as this weekend, while Craig Halkett and Craig Gordon remain sidelined, although they are approaching a return after long term injuries, along with Nathaniel Atkinson and Stephen Kingsley.

Referee: Nick Walsh

Walsh has taken charge of 142 top flight matches to his name since making his debut at this level in April 2016. Celtic have won the last 8 straight games when Walsh has been the referee.

Celtic's Overall Record
M: 30 W: 25 D: 4 L: 1

VAR: Andrew Dallas



~~~~ Head to Head ~~~~

Overall
P: 332 W: 180 D: 75 L: 77​

Last 5 Meetings
W W W W W

~~~~ 2022/23 Form ~~~~

All Comps
W L W W L ~ D W W L W

SPFL
W W W W W ~ D W L W L​