Jim Goodwin wants Dundee United to put on a performance to stop Celtic becoming the Grinch that ruins Christmas at Tannadice.

United have a big job on their hands as the unbeaten domestic leaders head to Tannadice on Sunday. It is the last match before the festive fun and Goodwin wants his United players to hand their fans an early Christmas present against the Hoops. Goodwin, who recently saw his side take a point away from Ibrox, said: “It'll be a full house and it'll obviously be the last game before Christmas so we don't want to be ruining anybody's festive period so fingers crossed.

“We haven't played them yet and we've got to play them twice in a number of weeks. We're hoping to obviously deny them space and to try and have a good defensive shape about ourselves.

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“We can't make the same mistakes we made last Saturday (against Motherwell) or we'll get punished again but at the same time then you've got to try and come up with a plan offensively where we think we can cause them one or two problems as well.

“It's trying to get the balance right when you're playing against such a good opponent that you can't leave yourself wide open and get punished because of the space but you've also got to try and impose yourself on the opposition as well.”

Celtic will also travel north on the high of lifting the Premier Sports Cup last weekend against Rangers. Goodwin admitted: “It (the final)was really entertaining and end to end. “Obviously, Celtic came out on top in the end. That's what they do.

“We know we've got a big task on our hands on Sunday. Nobody's managed to beat Celtic yet in the league. They've only dropped two points all season, only conceded four goals and scored an obscene amount of goals.

“We know that it's going to be a really tough test but hopefully we can come up with a plan, a system and personnel that can cause an upset.”

Celtic have dropped two domestic points all season, in the draw to Aberdeen. Goodwin knows that Brendan Rodgers’ side is formidable but he has to come up with a game plan to try and combat it.

He said: “That's the task that lies ahead. Every team has tried it so far and nobody's been successful but we have to believe that we're capable of doing it. That's what everybody's trying to figure out at the moment. Rangers included.

“Aberdeen obviously held them to a draw at Parkhead but the chances that Celtic missed in the first half probably didn't put the game to bed and then Aberdeen got the goal and it's game on again.

We're always trying to come up with some kind of game plan to keep them quiet but they've got so many good quality players that you can put your attention on one player and then another player finds space and causes you problems. “It's as tough a game as it comes.”

United will go into the game without Louis Moult who suffered shoulder ligament damage in last weekend's defeat at Motherwell.