Dundee United vs Celtic: A Crucial Scottish Premiership Showdown

Dundee United is gearing up for a pivotal match against Celtic, aiming to delay the latter's title celebration. Celtic needs just a point in Saturday's game to secure their fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership title. However, Dundee United, under the leadership of manager Jim Goodwin, is determined to put up a strong fight.

Recent Form and Historical Context

Dundee United has been in impressive form, winning their last three Scottish Premiership matches. Despite this, they haven't managed to defeat Celtic in over a decade. This season, they have yet to score against the league leaders in three encounters, although they did secure a valuable 0-0 draw at Tannadice in December.

Manager's Perspective

Jim Goodwin acknowledged the challenge, stating, 'Would I have wanted this fixture if I could have picked it - probably not. You would probably rather play them in the second last game where the league is done and it is wrapped up and they don't have the excitement of winning the league at our stadium.'

He also highlighted the importance of maintaining high standards, referencing their previous performance against Celtic. 'Our last game against Celtic at Tannadice was a really good, positive performance where we were able to take a really valuable point so we have to maintain the high standards we have shown recently.'

Incentives and Goals

Goodwin emphasized the incentives for his team, 'There are a lot of incentives there for us. We want to delay those title celebrations for another week if possible.' Dundee United is also in the race for third place, sitting just three points behind Hibernian.

Pressure and Preparation

Despite a successful first season back in the top flight, Goodwin stressed that the pressure is still on. 'I don't accept that,' he said. 'I have been trying to make sure the players don't have that kind of mindset going into the last five games either.'

Upcoming Challenges

With five crucial games remaining, Dundee United is focused on capitalizing on any opportunities. Goodwin noted, 'Something is going to give at Pittodrie, there are going to be points dropped by one of the two teams and we have got to try and capitalise on it.'

He also mentioned the potential for an upset, 'We are going to be huge underdogs but teams have proven already, like St Johnstone only a few weeks ago, that if you get your tactics right on the day, if you defend properly and you take your one or two opportunities that you get, then you can cause an upset.'

Related Topics

• Scottish Premiership
• Dundee United
• Scottish Football
• Football