Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin studying St Mirren blueprint in bid to beat Celtic

Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin has studied the blueprint of former club St Mirren in his bid to beat Celtic at Pittodrie on Saturday.

The Buddies are the only Scottish side to triumph over the cinch Premiership champions this season after a 2-0 home victory in September.

Ahead of the first game back after the mid-season break, former St Mirren captain Goodwin, who managed the Buddies between 2019 and 2022 before he joined the Dons, has taken tips from Saints’ performance against Ange Postecoglou’s side as he looks to get one over the league leaders.

“Celtic have only one defeat this season and the only points they have dropped is against St Mirren away from home, so we have to take a little bit of encouragement from that result,” said the Irishman, who revealed Callum Roberts is his only absentee.

“I thought St Mirren’s game plan on the day was excellent. They frustrated Celtic for large periods and deservedly won the game.

“So, what that proves is that they can be beaten if you get a number of things right on the day.

“But, we respect them as an opposition. They are a very, very good side, they have scored in excess of 50 goals this season already but our form has been excellent.

“We have won six out of our seven league games here at Pittodrie, we have scored the same amount of goals at home as Rangers and Celtic and our defensive record is something that people have been quick to point the finger at us for and deservedly so because our away record defensively has been poor.

“But, here at home, we have only conceded six goals, with only Celtic and Rangers having a slightly better goal difference than us at home.

“So, we have to take all the positives and all the confidence from those things I have mentioned, albeit we know exactly how difficult it is going to be.

“The results in the last decade against Celtic haven’t made for great reading from an Aberdeen perspective and that is something that me and this new group of players want to put right.”