Celtic travel to Rugby Park on Sunday aiming to build on a winning start to the new Premiership season under manager Martin O’Neill.
O’Neill has Celtic firing on all cylinders again, having guided them to a remarkable title triumph last season against considerable odds following Hearts’ early dominance.
The Glasgow giants won their final seven matches of last season, demonstrating the kind of relentless form that saw them overhaul the leaders and claim the championship.
They carried that momentum into the new campaign with a 1-0 victory over Dundee last Monday, making it eight wins from their last nine competitive outings.
Kilmarnock, by contrast, head into Sunday’s clash with serious defensive concerns after a difficult opening weekend in Ayrshire.
Neil McCann’s side shipped four goals in a chaotic 4-3 defeat to newly promoted St Johnstone, raising immediate questions about their ability to contain Celtic’s attack.
That result will do little to dent confidence in the Celtic camp, with O’Neill’s side widely expected to collect three points on their trip to Rugby Park.
However, Kilmarnock do carry a threat going forward, and Joe Hugill and Tyrice John-Jules are two players capable of causing problems for the Celtic backline.
Since McCann took charge at Rugby Park at the turn of the year, Kilmarnock have failed to score in only four of the 18 league matches played under his management.
That attacking consistency means Celtic cannot afford to be complacent defensively, even if the overall balance of the contest appears to favour the champions.
Celtic’s set-piece threat is another factor worth considering, with the side racking up nine corners in last week’s hard-fought win over Dundee at Celtic Park.
Based on that showing, Celtic are well placed to accumulate five or more corners during Sunday’s Premiership encounter in Ayrshire.
The champions remain the strong favourites to extend their winning run, but Kilmarnock’s attacking instincts under McCann ensure Sunday’s clash should be far from straightforward.
