The last time Celtic and Hearts met at Parkhead, it decided the Scottish Premiership title. Celtic beat Hearts 3-1 on May 16, a Callum Osmand goal sealing the championship on the final day of the season, with the Jambos agonizingly close to pulling off the shock. Five months later, the two sides meet again at Celtic Park on Sunday (3:00 p.m. local, 10:00 a.m. ET), and the storylines have multiplied. Celtic arrive in genuine crisis. Hearts arrive with revenge on their mind.

Celtic’s Form Has Completely Collapsed

Celtic have lost four of their last five matches in all competitions, as many losses as in their previous 36 games combined. Thursday’s 4-1 defeat in Lisbon, Jhon Durán scoring an early penalty and a second goal, Alexander Bah adding a third before Camilo Durán pulled one back for Celtic, left them pointless and third-bottom of the 36-team Europa League table with a goal difference of -5, after already losing their opening home leg 3-1 to Ferencváros. Celtic have now kept just five clean sheets in their last 54 major European matches. Martin O’Neill, insisting afterward there were “crumbs of comfort” in the second-half display, knows exactly what’s riding on Sunday. “Hearts is massive now,” he said this week.

There’s also a wrinkle Hearts fans will enjoy. Back in December 2025, months before that title-deciding finale, Hearts actually beat Celtic 2-1 at this same ground. So this Sunday’s meeting is really their third Parkhead encounter in under a year: Hearts won the first, Celtic won the second to clinch the title, and now Hearts get a shot at evening the score. A win would also give them victories at Parkhead in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2007. Across their last four meetings overall, Hearts are unbeaten in three.

Team News: Both Sides Have Injury Gaps

Celtic remain without Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston and Yang Hyun-jun. Jota is back in the squad after missing the Benfica trip for registration reasons and could feature from the bench. Camilo Durán, who scored in Lisbon, keeps his place in attack, with Callum McGregor captaining from midfield and Kieran Tierney available at left-back.

Hearts will be without Blair Spittal, Craig Halkett and Tom Renaud through injury. Despite that, Wouter Vrancken’s attacking quartet, James Wilson, Josh McPake, Cláudio Braga and Calvin Miller, has been central to a run of form that saw Hearts finish as last season’s runners-up and sit third again now, just five points back with 19 league goals already scored. Hearts were also in action Thursday, drawing 1-1 with FC Nordsjælland in the Conference League at Tynecastle, a far less bruising night than Celtic’s in Lisbon.

Predicted Lineups

Celtic (4-2-3-1): Sinisalo; Donovan, Murray, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Baur; Durán, Nygren, Tounekti; Høgh

Hearts (4-2-3-1): Reus; Altena, Fagan-Walcott, McCart, Milne; Ageu, Mendy; Miller, Braga, McPake; Wilson

These are projected starting XIs. Confirmed lineups are usually released around an hour before kick-off.

Prediction: Celtic 2-1 Hearts

Celtic have home advantage, the title pedigree, and a squad that still has more raw quality top to bottom. But a team that’s lost four of five, conceded freely in Europe all season, and is facing a Hearts side that’s beaten them at this exact stadium in the past doesn’t get a clean bill of health. Expect Celtic to find a response, their need for one is too obvious to ignore, but don’t expect the comfortable afternoon some are predicting. Hearts should trouble them, probably score, and make Parkhead sweat before Celtic see it through.

How to Watch