Celtic host Hearts at Celtic Park in Glasgow on October 18, 2026, for a Scottish Premiership meeting between the league’s two highest-scoring sides. Celtic lead the table after seven wins in eight league games, while third-placed Hearts have five wins and sit five points behind them. The visitors have scored 19 Premiership goals to Celtic’s 16, giving this fixture an attacking backdrop. Both teams also played on October 15: Celtic lost 4-1 to Benfica, while Hearts drew 1-1 with Nordsjælland. Their contrasting recent results make the question particularly interesting: can Celtic’s strong league record withstand a Hearts side that has scored in every Premiership game this season?

Celtic’s Recent Form and Key Stats

Celtic have won seven and lost one of their eight Premiership fixtures, scoring an average of 2.0 goals per game and conceding 0.5. Their latest league victory was a 2-0 result against Motherwell, but the subsequent defeat to Benfica highlights a less convincing run across all competitions. Over their last five matches, Celtic have recorded one win and four defeats, averaging 0.8 goals scored and 2.2 conceded. That gap between their league figures and broader recent form is an important part of the preview.

There has been little middle ground in Celtic’s results. They have gone 20 matches without a draw across all competitions, including 18 consecutive Premiership matches without one. Goals have also appeared regularly at different stages of their games: at least one first-half goal was scored in 21 of their last 23 matches, and at least one second-half goal was scored in 19 of their last 21. Those figures describe total goals in the matches, rather than goals scored by Celtic alone.

The 4-1 loss to Benfica means Celtic enter this home fixture after conceding four in their most recent outing. Their Premiership record, however, still shows seven victories and an average of just 0.5 goals conceded per game. Whether that league-level defensive record holds against the division’s leading scorers could be decisive.

Hearts’ Recent Form and Key Stats

Hearts arrive with five wins, one draw and two defeats from eight Premiership matches. They average 2.4 goals scored and 1.0 conceded per league game, having scored 19 league goals overall. Their 5-0 victory against St Mirren demonstrated that attacking threat before the 1-1 draw with Nordsjælland on October 15. Across their last five matches, Hearts have two wins, two draws and one defeat, with averages of 2.2 goals scored and 0.8 conceded.

The visitors’ scoring consistency extends well beyond those five games. Hearts have found the net in each of their last 15 matches across all competitions and in their last 16 Premiership matches. At least two total goals have been scored in each of their last 24 matches, including their last 15 league fixtures. Those are match-goal trends, not a claim that Hearts scored twice in every game.

The away-game figures offer further context for the trip to Celtic Park. At least one first-half goal has been scored in each of Hearts’ last 14 away matches, while their last 12 away fixtures have all featured at least two total goals. In the Premiership specifically, their last 10 away games have each had a first-half goal. A second-half goal has also been scored in each of Hearts’ last 10 league matches. Corners are another recurring feature of their games, with more than 7.5 taken in 30 of their last 31 matches across all competitions.

Celtic vs Hearts Match Analysis

This fixture brings together Celtic’s seven wins from eight league games and a Hearts attack that has outscored every other Premiership side. Celtic have the stronger league record and home advantage, but their four defeats in the last five matches across all competitions temper that picture. Hearts have been more productive over their own last five games and have maintained a lengthy scoring run, although they have won five of their eight league fixtures rather than matching Celtic’s seven.

Recent meetings do not point clearly toward either side. Over the last five head-to-head games, Celtic and Hearts have taken two wins apiece, with one draw. The most recent meeting finished 3-1 on May 16, 2026, and each of those five encounters produced at least three total goals. That history sits alongside the teams’ current league scoring totals: 16 for Celtic and 19 for Hearts after eight matches each.

The opening period could be significant, given how frequently first-half goals have featured in both teams’ matches. Hearts’ continuing scoring streak and Celtic’s league average of two goals per game also provide reasons to watch for chances at both ends. Celtic’s recent results outside the Premiership introduce some uncertainty, but the combined scoring records and head-to-head goal pattern make goals the clearest theme of this match preview.

Celtic vs Hearts prediction from BetMines: Over 2.5 goals with 62% probability.