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Celtic lie in wait on Sunday, as Motherwell travel to the east end of Glasgow on Ladbrokes Premiership business.

The champions are in formidable form, arriving at the match off of a huge victory away to Lazio in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night.

The story so far

Having won the last nine domestic trophies, Neil Lennon’s side booked their place for a shot at a 10th with a win over Hibernian in the Betfred Cup semi-final last weekend.

Against Motherwell, they fell behind early at Fir Park earlier in the season, before coming back to win 5-2.

Form guide

Celtic have won 21 out of the 26 matches they have played in all competitions so far this season.

Of the other five, they’ve drawn three – against Hibernian, CFR Cluj and Rennes all away from home – while losing at Livingston and at home to CFR Cluj in UEFA Champions League qualifying.

Three to watch

Mohamed Elyounoussi

Mohamed Elyounoussi’s spectacular recent performances have led to Celtic fans campaigning to make the Norwegian international’s stay at the club a permanent one.

The 25-year-old has been in superb form in recent weeks. Last weekend he notched a brace in the 5-2 Betfred Cup semi-final victory over Hibernian, starting off November on the same note as he ended the previous month in which he netted four times in four league matches.

A quite brilliant assist for James Forrest’s equaliser against Lazio was an excellent demonstration of Elyounoussi’s ability to create chances as well as putting them away and he is sure to pose a real threat to the ‘Well defence on Sunday.

Callum McGregor

Victory for Celtic over Lazio capped a memorable few days for Callum McGregor, who only 48 hours earlier had put pen to paper on a new five-year deal with the champions.

His new contract Celtic Park is just reward for the midfielder who over the years has established himself as an integral figure in the green and white hoops. In the absence of Scott Brown, it is McGregor who wears the captains armband, and manager Neil Lennon has said that he believes he will take over from Brown in the role in the future.

McGregor graduated from the Celtic youth academy and has now been with the club for 18 years. Since breaking into the first-team squad, he has won five league titles, three Scottish Cups and three League Cups.

Odsonne Edouard

After failing to score in his last three appearances, Odsonne Edouard will be desperate to end his wait for a goal when the Steelmen visit the east end of Glasgow.

The French striker has already beaten Mark Gillespie once this season, when he came off the bench to score the fourth goal in Celtic’s 5-2 success at Fir Park back in August.

Since that game Edouard has added a further six Scottish Premiership goals and sits second behind Jermaine Defoe in the top scorer chart.

It’s not just in domestic action that the 21-year-old is thriving either. Last month he scored a hat-trick for France U21s as they defeated Slovakia 5-3 – taking his goal tally to nine in four appearances.

Get your tickets in advance

Tickets are available online now until Friday for collection from the Fir Park ticket office, or from the club shop on Saturday. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Tickets can also be purchased at the ticket office. We’re open until 4pm on Friday. The club shop will sell tickets from 10am to 12pm on Saturday. There will be no sales after this time.

The cheaper price is for restricted view tickets. These will not be available until our full view tickets are sold out.

Fans who require ambulant or wheelchair access should contact Andy Sim on 07428 225254 or email tickets@mfcdsa.com.

Can’t make it? Watch or listen live

If you’re outside the UK/Ireland, you can watch Celtic v Motherwell and the majority of our Ladbrokes Premiership games this season on our live streaming service.

Priced at £12 a month, just head to tv.motherwellfc.co.uk to subscribe.

Wherever you are, there’s also live audio commentary available on our streaming service for £5.99 a month.

Liam Grimshaw is your Tullibardine Motherwell FC player of the month for October.

The right back has been as consistent as ever for Stephen Robinson’s side, playing a key part throughout the month.

Grimshaw was up against Peter Hartley, Devante Cole and Christopher Long for the fans to decide.

There’s still time to get your tickets for Sunday’s trip to take on Celtic.

Tickets are available from the club shop at Fir Park on Saturday between 10am and 12pm.

Tickets must be purchased in advance. There will be no sales on the day of the match.

The cheaper price is for restricted view tickets. These will not be available until our full view tickets are sold out.

Fans who require ambulant or wheelchair access should contact Andy Sim on 07428 225254 or email tickets@mfcdsa.com.

Can’t make it? Watch or listen live

If you’re outside the UK/Ireland, you can watch Celtic v Motherwell and the majority of our Ladbrokes Premiership games this season on our live streaming service.

Priced at £12 a month, just head to tv.motherwellfc.co.uk to subscribe.

Wherever you are, there’s also live audio commentary available on our streaming service for £5.99 a month.

Stephen Robinson spoke of the task in hand against Celtic this weekend, as well as the form of Declan Gallagher and developing players on Thursday.

Here’s what he had to say to the broadcast media ahead of the match.

On Declan Gallagher’s Scotland call-up

“Delighted with him. He’s been a revelation since he came in. We went to watch Livingston play maybe two years ago and we earmarked him then. We constantly monitored him and he’s grown as a player and as a person.

“I think his recognition for Scotland’s been thoroughly deserved and hopefully it continues.

“He’s full of fun. He’s a big character in the dressing room. The boys love him. Win, lose or draw he is the same. He keeps the dressing room alive on the pitch, we’ve got him to drive himself.

“His training standards were something that we tried to get up when he first came in and now he is setting standards for other people, as opposed to us trying to set them for him.”

On developing players

“I have a pretty good relationship with all the players. You can only start 11 of them.

“It’s important that the boys that aren’t playing you try and keep on board as well, as frustrated as they are, which is is understandable.

“But I try to be honest with people. We try and treat them well and in the end of the day if I’m linked with something, it’s down to the players.

“And if the players are linked with something, or representing their country, it’s because of Motherwell Football Club.

“We appreciate each other. I think there’s a good bond and relationship between all the staff and all the players.”

On the task in facing Celtic

“[The performance at Ibrox] certainly gave the players confidence. Sometimes I wish they believed in themselves as much as I believed in them.

“The hard bit is convincing people. You know that you can go to these places, put on a performance and get results.

“They’ve started to believe in our league position and in our style of play, where we’ve been attractive on the eye, played a lot of good football, scored a lot of goals and there’s no reason why we can’t [go there and get a result].

“Of course the realism is that Celtic on their day are a very, very good side. As are Rangers. So we have to be at the top of our game but giving them that belief.

“I believe after the Rangers game, they believe in what we did. They believe in each other.

“So why not? If you go with a negative mindset, you might as well beat before you start.”

Trevor Carson and Liam Donnelly are again in the Northern Ireland squad for their final games of 2019.

Michael O’Neill’s side are in UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying action against Netherlands and Germany.

They take on the Dutch in Belfast on 16 November, before travelling to take on the Germans three days later in Frankfurt.

Declan Gallagher is in the Scotland squad for the forthcoming matches with Cyprus and Kazakhstan.

The Motherwell defender, a standout performer for the Steelmen this campaign, was a call-up to Steve Clarke’s squad for their last double header with Russia and San Marino.

The 28-year-old didn’t win his first cap on that occasion, but that chance could now come in the coming games.

Scotland travel to take on Cyprus on Saturday, 16 November, before taking on Kazakhstan at Hampden Park on Tuesday, 19 November.

Motherwell are on the road again this weekend, with a trip to face Celtic on Sunday.

It’s first against third in the Ladbrokes Premiership, as Stephen Robinson’s side look to get a positive result in Glasgow.

Kick off at Celtic Park is at 3pm.

Tale of the tape

Celtic booked their place in the Betfred Cup final with a thumping 5-2 victory over Hibernian at the weekend.

That marked their fifth straight win, having also seen off Ross County, Lazio, Aberdeen and St Mirren with 19 goals scored along the way, and three conceded.

Neil Lennon’s side are in Rome on Thursday evening to take on Lazio again, before the visit of the Steelmen at the weekend.

Motherwell kept third position in the Premiership with a 2-1 home win over Livingston at the weekend, following up from the same result against Kilmarnock last midweek.

Head to head

Celtic are unbeaten in the fixture in the last 15, winning 12 and drawing three and including two cup final victories over Stephen Robinson’s men.

Motherwell’s last victory against Celtic came in Glasgow in December 2015, when a Louis Moult double cancelled out Nir Bitton’s opener to give the visitors a 2-1 win.

Ticket information

Tickets are available from the club shop at Fir Park on Saturday between 10am and 12pm.

Tickets must be purchased in advance. There will be no sales on the day of the match.

The cheaper price is for restricted view tickets. These will not be available until our full view tickets are sold out.

Fans who require ambulant or wheelchair access should contact Andy Sim on 07428 225254 or email tickets@mfcdsa.com.

Can’t make it? Watch or listen live

If you’re outside the UK/Ireland, you can watch Celtic v Motherwell and the majority of our Ladbrokes Premiership games this season on our live streaming service.

Priced at £12 a month, just head to tv.motherwellfc.co.uk to subscribe.

Wherever you are, there’s also live audio commentary available on our streaming service for £5.99 a month.

Christopher Long and Allan Campbell get the goals as Motherwell consolidate third spot with a 2-1 win over Livingston.

“We had to be patient. Good teams find ways to win and we’re a decent side.”

Stephen Robinson reacts to the win over Livingston.

Back-to-back home wins strengthened Motherwell’s grip on third place, as Livingston were defeated 2-1.

An Allan Campbell goal seven minutes from time to earn the maximum points from a stuffy visiting side.

Both defences were solid and mean, with goal chances few and far between in an uneventful first half.

However, some good fortune helped Christopher Long and a Steve Lawless grab a goal apiece at the start of the second half and provide the fans with an entertaining second 45 – before ‘Well found the late winner.

Not surprisingly, Stephen Robinson stood by the same line-up which defeated the Ayrshire side in mid-week. That allowed Devante Cole and Long, on the back of three consecutive starts together, the chance to develop their striking partnership.

However, it was Livingston who threatened in the early stages. In the eighth minute, and with ‘Well yet to get a touch in the visitor’s box the first chance fell to Scott Tiffoney.

The Livi striker, who scored a couple of cracking goals on his last visit in May, thought he was on the scoresheet again until his net bound drive from eight yards was deflected over the bar by Declan Gallagher.

Six minutes later, after Hakeem Odoffin hauled back Jermaine Hylton’s progress on the left wing, Liam Polworth’s free kick provided the first test for the Livi defence.

That signalled a bit of pressure from the home side and a well rehearsed corner after 18 minutes almost led to the breakthrough. Polworth swept the flag kick out to the edge of the penalty area to set up Liam Donnelly whose low drive was on target until Marvin Bartley blocked it six yards from goal.

The Fir Park men had plenty of the ball around the visitor’s third of the pitch but on a number of occasions they failed to get crosses beyond the first defender.

The West Lothian side were still dangerous on the break and Tiffoney’s drive from the corner of the box had Mark Gillespie at full stretch as the ball deflected just wide of the ‘keeper’s right hand post.

Nine minutes from the interval, Matija Sarkic made his first save. Cole lost the ball at the edge of the box but it rolled into Long’s path and his firmly struck rising drive was parried by the Livi ‘keeper.

Other than that the first half was a bit of a stalemate, as for the second time in four days the Steelmen found it difficult to get in behind a solid visiting rearguard.

More was expected from the home side in the second half and they were given a big helping hand from Sarkic as they broke the deadlock two minutes after the restart.

It was a good build up from the back as Peter Hartley and then Jake Carroll worked the ball inside to Polworth. His long ground pass found Long at the corner of the box and although there was plenty of power in his low drive, the on-loan Aston Villa ‘keeper should have done a lot better than allowing the ball to squirm from his hands and roll inside the post.

After the poor first half, the Fir Park fans were not complaining as Sarkic was consoled by his team mates.

At least the goal opened up the game with Livingston much more intent on getting forward in pursuit of an equaliser.

The visitors then got their own slice of luck in the 57th minute when the assistant referee indicated it was a penalty a penalty after Cole ran into the back of Tiffoney as they both headed out of the box.

As the striker received treatment, Gary Holt made a unique substitution sending on Steve Lawless to take the penalty. And the ex-Well man made no mistake from the spot sending his first touch of the ball high beyond the diving Gillespie to make it 1-1.

That handed the initiative to the Lions and Gillespie was forced into a good save to push Tiffoney’s angled drive round his post.

That encouraged ‘Well to make their first change after 65 minutes, James Scott coming on for Cole. With 15 minutes remaining, and little sign of ‘Well reclaiming the lead, Sherwin Seedorf joined the action with Hylton making way.

Almost immediately ‘Well conjured up a chance. A long through ball for Long rolled away from the striker at the edge of the box but Campbell latched onto the ball only to drive it across and wide of the goal.

The ‘Well midfield man made his next chance count. Possession around the visitor’s box ended with Polworth driving the ball towards goal and when it was partially blocked 10 yards out, Campbell drilled the loose ball into the corner for the winner.

However, with Bevis Mugabi immediately on to shore up the defence, it took a brilliant stop from Gillespie to deny Steve Lawson and ensure that ‘Well would hold onto all three points and third spot in the league table.