Can Celtic remain unbeaten for the remainder of the season?

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Celtic’s domestic unbeaten streak just keeps going and going. The Hoops are now 32 games deep into their domestic season and, incredibly, the only blip was the rather unfortunate 2-2 draw in Inverness, when Caley Thistle snatched an equaliser, back in September.

After Moussa Dembélé scored a second goal for Celtic in Saturday’s game against Hamilton Accies, the runaway Premiership leaders coasted into to their 21^st consecutive league win.

It’s an impressive record and a testament to the way Brendan Rodgers has transformed the Bhoys in the short time he has been at the club. Celtic have done well in recent seasons, but not with this flair and in this manner. Fans and supporters are enjoying what could potentially be a momentous and historic campaign.

The statistics become more impressive week-by-week (with the Hoops eclipsing the 50-year unbeaten domestic record held by Lisbon Lions in 1966-67) and, quite impressively, Rodger’s side have maintained their 24-point lead over Aberdeen – as they motor towards a sixth successive title.

This has now left fans wondering, could Celtic remain unbeaten all season?

Mark McGhee, who managed Motherwell until his departure on Tuesday morning, certainly seems to think so. After seeing his side lose 2-0 at Parkhead two weekends ago, the 59-year-old believes they could complete the campaign undefeated.

“I could see Celtic go through the season without losing,” he said.

“Although, if Aberdeen can play as well as they did against us the other night, then they’ll give them a good game.

“One thing that was possibly not said after we played them was how good they were. There was a lot of other stuff went on that detracted from their performance, but I thought they were brilliant – as good as I’ve seen them in a long time.

“So, if they play as well as they did against us then who knows?”

However, there are still a few stumbling blocks ahead that Celtic must navigate if they were to go unbeaten and lift the treble. Although Rodgers’ team have looked focused and determined so far, there could be a few nervy games ahead as the pressure ramps up.

Wednesday evening’s trip to Inverness, for example, could be one of those games. After all, the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium is the only ground where Rodger’s team have failed to win this season. As last September showed, this is always a tough place for the Hoops, and this time it will be even tougher.

With it being a tricky midweek winter encounter in the Highlands, this game will be sure to test the resolve of Rodgers’ team. Not to mention the fact that Caley are currently rock bottom of the table and only two points behind Hamilton. It is certain that they’ll give Celtic one of their toughest domestic tests of the season, despite their rather precarious league position.

Rodgers himself is cautious about the game.

“Listen, like I said before, we will lose a game, for sure,” he said.

“What we have to do is just resist as much as we possibly can. Perform how we want to, and if we do that then we can’t do any more.

“I know it is boring and not what you want to hear but I tend to really look at the next game. It (the record) is a few games away and football is so difficult to forecast.

“Saying that to the players would absolutely be contradictory, it would add pressure.”

But he did say, on a hopeful note, that the team have been both very “focused” and “ambitious”, so a win could still be on the cards.

“We’ve been very focused and we’re a very ambitious group to do well.

“It’s not just for this season, we’re preparing and developing something for a number of years. The focus has been great.”

If Celtic were to complete a clean sweep they would have 13 Premiership games and a potential three in the Scottish Cup to negotiate – a treble winning season which will only have been achieved for the fourth time in the club’s 129-year history.

Featured Image: All rights reserved by Paul Robert Donnelly