St Johnstone are one of Scottish football’s older fixtures, founded in 1884 and long established at McDiarmid Park. For Celtic supporters, they sit in familiar domestic territory: a club with enough history and structure to command respect, without requiring any myth-making.
Their current position is strong. St Johnstone are first in the Championship, with a 25-man squad averaging 25 years of age and valued at around £3.5m by Transfermarkt. They have also been involved in the League Cup second round and reached the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.
The league form is doing the talking. Their last six matches have brought five wins and a draw, including clean-sheet victories over Ayr United, Raith Rovers and Dunfermline Athletic, plus a 4-0 home win against Airdrieonians. At McDiarmid Park they have been particularly efficient, averaging 2.1 goals scored and just 0.6 conceded per match.
There is threat away from home as well, with St Johnstone averaging 1.7 goals on the road and conceding 0.8. Josh McPake and Jamie Gullan have carried the scoring weight with 19 and 17 goals respectively, supported by Adama Sidibeh, Reece McAlear and Ruari Paton.
St Johnstone’s current standing is clear: top of the Championship, defensively tight, and in good league rhythm. For Celtic, they remain a well-known Scottish opponent with enough form and edge to merit proper attention.
📈 Key stats and insights
⚔️ How they compare to Celtic
Measured against the kind of profile Celtic supporters look for, St Johnstone's numbers are strong in the areas that usually travel: they score consistently, concede very little and do not rely solely on home form. Celtic would still expect to carry the greater attacking threat and territory, but this St Johnstone side look organised enough to make wastefulness costly and clinical enough to punish a loose spell.
