Celtic need win to stay in title race

A gap of four points would hardly cause too much concern at this early stage of the season – but for the Old Firm that could take quite some time to make up in the Scottish Premier League.

That is the position that the champions found themselves in going into today’s tricky encounter against Dundee at Dens Park.

Rangers opened up a four-point lead over Celtic at the top of the table with a comfortable victory over Partick yesterday.

Martin O’Neill insists he is not too concerned about that, but deep down, especially after his own side’s experiences, he will know that his team cannot afford to stop pressurising them.

The Celtic boss admitted his players would be full of confidence having thrashed FK Suduva 8-1 in midweek and from results elsewhere in Europe and he chose to name the same line-up.

Jim Duffy’s Dundee side were looking to build on their mid-table position with nine points and he made two changes to the side which drew with Partick at Firhill last Saturday.

Giorgi Nemsadze, who has been linked with a move to Celtic, and Juan Sara came into the side for Garry Brady and Steve Lovell.

Dundee: Speroni, MacKay, Smith, Hutchinson, Novo, Hernandez Santos, Rae, Nemsadze, Caballero, Sara, Wilkie.

Subs: Langfield, Milne, Mair, Lovell, Brady.

Celtic: Douglas, Valgaeren, Balde, Laursen, Sylla, Lambert, Lennon, Petrov, Guppy, Larsson, Sutton.

Subs: Gould, Hartson, Fernandez, Maloney, Crainey.

Referee: J Underhill (Scotland)