Scottish Premiership picks: Celtic v Hibs, Shankland & Valakari in focus

When Celtic beat Hibs 3-0 in Glasgow on 7 December, the length of the Premiership table separated the sides.

Since then no team in the division has collected more points than Hibs as they moved from last to third, having lost just once in 19 league outings and winning 13 of those.

That remarkable sequence includes a 2-1 victory over the champions at Easter Road when David Gray’s side turned in a full throttle first-half display against opponents who had suffered midweek Champions League disappointment at Bayern Munich.

Celtic have since had their revenge in the Scottish Cup and knocked Hibs out of the League Cup, too, making it four wins from the five encounters this season.

These two may be the form teams of 2025 but Celtic are undefeated in 21 home games against Hibs in all competitions, winning 17, since a 2-1 upset in January 2010.

They haven’t lost two successive league games to the men from Leith in one season since 1950-51.

With the title wrapped up and the last Old Firm game out of the way, Brendan Rodgers plans to rest a few players with the Scottish Cup final in mind.

That might embolden the visitors, who posed very little threat in that cup defeat in March.

Of course, Gray might think it will be easier to hold out against a team missing a few front line stars but a cautious approach backfired at Pittodrie recently to end a long unbeaten run.

With a three-point lead over Aberdeen in the race for third and a healthy advantage in goal difference, Hibs may opt to keep the shackles off this time, and, if Celtic have players looking to impress the boss, we could be in for a real treat.