15th August 2026; Tannadice Park, Dundee, Scotland; Scottish Cup Football, Dundee United versus Celtic;
Martin O’Neill has made three changes to the Celtic side that drew with Dundee United for today’s match at Falkirk.
It is comeback time for Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain while Haissem Hassan starts on the right wing.
Carter-Vickers has previously been used sparingly on artificial pitches but replaces Dane Murray in central defence.
Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn’t started a match since the September 2 win over Aberdeen but replaces Ben Nygren in a more solid looking midfield trio.
The forward line is shuffled with Camilo Duran playing central in place of Kasper Hogh with Hassan trusted with the supply of chances from the right.
A win gives Celtic the chance to move seven points clear in the SPFL Premiership as they set off in the second round of fixtures.
CELTIC V FALKIRK SCENE SETTER
Falkirk come into the match on the back of three successive wins. Full points picked up away to Aberdeen and Hibs alongside a home win against Kilmarnock. Clearly there is more to their success than their plastic pitch.
Those three wins have lifted Falkirk into the top six in the Premiership table. With no team cut adrift after 11 rounds of fixtures this season could turn into an almighty dog fight.
Celtic had a 2-1 home win over Falkirk on August 29, it should have been more comfortable following a double for Duran in the first 30 minutes.
It took John McGlynn’s side until September 15 to win their first SPFL match. Since then they have been the form team in the Premiership and on course to repeat last season’s top six finish.
On Thursday Celtic return to the Europa League when they host Besiktas looking to win their first points of the campaign.
After that they host troubled Kilmarnock before the November international break.
CELTIC: Johnstone; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Baur, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Hassan, Duran, Osmand
SUBS: Sinisalo, Nygren, Hogh, Emenalo, McCowan, Tounekti, Mheuka, Murray, Forrest
