Celtic edge past Aberdeen in top of the table clash

Celtic lived up to their Champions-elect status with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Aberdeen at a wet and windy Pittodrie on Wednesday night. The match began in dramatic fashion as the players emerged through a cloud of red and white smoke, with fireworks and pyrotechnics lighting up the night sky. Aberdeen started brightly and had the first clear-cut chance. A superb cross-field ball from Nilsen bypassed Valle, setting up Duk for a strike from the edge of the box. His effort was smartly saved by Schmeichel with his feet, and Nisbet’s follow-up whistled narrowly past the post. Midway through the first half, Callum McGregor had Celtic’s first real opportunity. Known for his long-range goals this season, he found himself with plenty of space, but his tame shot rolled harmlessly past Ross Doohan’s goal, leaving the stand-in keeper untroubled. As the first half progressed, Celtic began to increase the tempo. Aberdeen’s midfield duo of Shinnie and Nilsen had been shielding their defence effectively, congesting the central areas, but Celtic started to exploit space on the flanks. Despite clever runs by Kuhn and Maeda, the Dons’ defence held firm, although they were beginning to retreat deeper. Just before the break, Celtic thought they had taken the lead when Bernardo’s corner went directly into the net. However, Maeda was penalised for a foul on Doohan, sparing the keeper’s blushes. A brief VAR review gave Celtic fans hope, but the decision stood, much to the delight of the home supporters. Halftime: Aberdeen 0 – 0 Celtic The second half began with both sides trading chances. Celtic’s Kuhn came closest with a strike that sailed just over the bar, looking destined for the top corner. At the other end, Duk surged into the Celtic box but went down under pressure from Greg Taylor, with appeals for a penalty waved away. Just after the hour mark, Aberdeen produced some heroic defending to keep the scoreline level. Alistair Johnston saw two efforts blocked in quick succession, and when the ball fell to Hatate, Doohan made an excellent save to push the ball wide. Moments later, Doohan was called into action again, pulling off a stunning one-handed save to deny Adam Idah. Rising highest to meet a cross, Idah’s header seemed certain to find the net, but Doohan’s outstretched arm kept the game goalless. Aberdeen then squandered a golden chance to take the lead. Morris slid a clever pass to Besuijen, who drove into the box and cut it back to Clarkson. With time and space on the edge of the area, Clarkson dragged his shot well wide, a miss that would prove costly. Minutes later, Celtic made Aberdeen pay. Greg Taylor delivered a delicate, lofted pass to Hatate, who had cleverly drifted in behind McGarry, with Devlin playing him onside. The Japanese midfielder controlled the ball on his chest and calmly slotted it into the bottom corner, silencing Pittodrie. Aberdeen’s best chance to equalise fell to Ester Sokler. Polvara burst past Johnston and whipped in a dangerous cross. Trusty’s misjudged clearance presented the ball to Sokler in front of goal, but the striker’s effort was somehow deflected over the bar when it seemed easier to score. Despite Aberdeen’s late pressure, Celtic stood firm. As the clock ticked down, the home crowd began to thin, and the visitors held on to secure a vital three points. The victory extends Celtic’s lead at the top of the table to seven points. For Aberdeen, the defeat leaves them looking over their shoulders, with Rangers now just four points behind and holding a game in hand. Full time: Aberdeen 0 – 1 Celtic Lineups: Aberdeen: Doohan (GK); Devlin, Rubezic, Molloy, McGarry (Polvara 82’), Shinnie, Nilsen, McGrath (Clarkson 70’), Nisbet (Sokler 59’), Duk (Morris 59’), Keskinen (Besuijen 70) Celtic: Schmeichel (GK); Johnston, Trusty, Carter-Vickers, Valle (Taylor 46’), Bernardo (McCowan 65’), Hatate (Engels 87’), McGregor, Maeda (Forrest 75’), Kyogo (Idah 65’), Kuhn Bookings: Aberdeen – Nisbet, Shinnie, Nilsen Celtic – Valle Referee: Don Robertson VAR: Andrew Dallas

Captain Marvel: Tavernier Leads Rampant Rangers to Six-Goal Thrashing of Kilmarnock

Captain James Tavernier opened his Scottish Premiership account for the season as Rangers delivered a commanding performance, equalling their biggest win of the campaign with a crushing victory over a subdued Kilmarnock at Ibrox. Tavernier timed his run perfectly to meet Ianis Hagi’s inviting cross at the back post, steering the hosts into a well-earned first-half lead. Rangers shifted into another gear after the break, with Danilo pouncing on another pinpoint Hagi delivery to double the advantage before Hamza Igamane hammered in a decisive third. The onslaught continued as Vaclav Cerny rifled home a low, driven effort for Rangers’ fourth. Cyriel Dessers then took centre stage with a clinical brace, expertly finishing two crosses, the first confirmed after a VAR check. For Derek McInnes’ side, the defeat marks a deepening slump—10th in the table and now winless in five, with four losses in that stretch. Rangers manager Philippe Clement: “We could have scored already more goals in the first half, but there were good connections on the field because these players are training more and more together. “We want to give our fans good games, good show but the most important stays the three points. So we’re going to work hard for that.” Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes: “Disappointed we’ve lost the [first] goal because we allowed the cross to come in from the throw-in, it’s something that’s been quite a common theme for us. A lot of the goals we lose are in a similar area. “Their movement was spooking us a wee bit and we just tried to simplify it by going 4-4-2 against 4-4-2 but it became clear that we couldn’t cope with that.” Attendance: 44,188

Motherwell collapse sees Dundee score three in seven minutes

A Lyall Cameron double helped Dundee secure an important three points to move into the top six as Motherwell fell to another defeat. The result means the visitors have now lost three in a row and sit only one point above seventh place St. Mirren. Dundee opened the scoring after Oluwaseun Adewumi curled a shot past Aston Oxborough after just fourteen minutes in. Motherwell levelled only five minutes later when Apostolos Stamatelopoulos bundled the ball in as the contest looked set to be a back on forth for the remaining time. Unfortunately that was as good as it got for Stuart Kettlewell’s men as Scott Tiffoney regained the lead just after the hour mark, finishing a rapid counter. Within seven minutes Motherwell had conceded two more as a deflection allowed Lyall Cameron to stretch his side’s advantage Cameron then grabbed his second, truly putting the game to bed, Motherwell left to rue a lack of intensity on the counter. The side had chances but were unable to get the better of Jon McCracken, who has looked much improved since a difficult start to the season. Dundee control ball as much as scoreboard One of the lesser heralded sides of the league this season, Tony Docherty may have felt his side had a point to prove. They served all three on this occasion, putting to bed a Motherwell side that sat above them until tonight. Looking comfortable on the ball and with the lion’s share of possession, the home side were able to stifle any momentum the visitors attempted to build. Adewumi, Cameron and Tiffoney were terrific on the night but they are supported by the engine that is Mo Sylla, whose ability to keep the ball under pressure has been key to their build up. A mere blip or time to worry? At the start of the season, being sat in top sixth entering December would have been a position worth shouting about given the calibre of the league. However after a third loss in a row, some cracks are beginning to show in this Motherwell side. Not simply the defeats but the way they have gone down all too easily, with nine goals conceding in their last three games, which including a hiding at home to Hibs at the weekend. Perhaps too much pr With five more games to come in December, with two of those against the old firm, Kettlewell will need to get his side firing sooner rather than later. Attendance: 5,381 Line-Ups: Dundee: J. McCracken, B. Koumetio (S. Kelly 85’), A. Portales, R. Astley, S. Tiffoney (F. Roberston 69’), M. Sylla, J. McGhee, J. Mulligan, O. Adewumi (J. Vetro 90’), L. Cameron, S. Murray (S. Palmer-Houlden 69’) Substitutes: S. Braybrooke, T. Carson, E. Ingram, S. Kelly, C. Main, S. Palmer-Houlden, F. Robertson, H. Sharp, J. Vetro Motherwell: A. Oxborough, D. Casey, L. Gordon, K. Balmer, S. Seddon, E. Wilson, L. Miller, H. Paton (A. Halliday 68’), Jair Tavares (M. Kaleta 68’), A. Stamatelopoulos (M. Ebiye 68’), T. Watt (T. Maswanhise 75’) Substitutes: S. Blaney, M. Ebiye, A . Halliday, K. Hegyi, J. Koutroumbis, T. Maswanhise, S. Nicholson, D. Zdravkovski

Staggies hit with Laidlaw injury

Don Cowie’s Ross County have been handed a massive blow ahead of the festive period as goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw has been ruled out of action for 8-10 weeks. Laidlaw was replaced at the end of the first half against Celtic, and further scans have revealed damage to his knee. The experienced shot-stopper had been having a fine campaign in the Staggies goal this season. Back-up Jack Hamilton replaced Laidlaw on Saturday and looks to retain the jersey ahead of Sunday’s fixture when Rangers make the trip north to Dingwall. 30-year-old Hamilton has plenty of experience in the league. Making his breakthrough with Hearts before featuring with Dundee and Livingston last season.

Scottish Premiership Showdown: Aberdeen v Celtic

Venue: Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen Date: Wednesday, 4 October Time: 20:00 GMT The stakes couldn’t be higher as Aberdeen host reigning champions Celtic at Pittodrie in a match that could define the trajectory of this Scottish Premiership season. With both sides battling for supremacy earlier in the campaign, the gap between them has widened, adding even more intrigue to this midweek clash. Celtic enter the fixture on a commanding run of six straight league wins, having shaken off early-season jitters that saw them draw 2-2 with Aberdeen at Celtic Park. Meanwhile, Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen have faltered, enduring a defeat and two draws in their last three league matches, compounded by a bruising 6-0 loss to Celtic in the League Cup semi-final. A victory for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic would not only widen the gap at the top but also cast significant doubt over Aberdeen’s title aspirations, with Rangers already trailing further behind. Aberdeen’s Challenge: Aiming for Resilience For Aberdeen, the return to Pittodrie offers a welcome opportunity to regroup after a tough spell on the road. Manager Jimmy Thelin is focused on steady progress rather than dwelling on past defeats. “Playing at home brings its own energy and belief,” said Thelin, whose team endured gruelling away matches against St Mirren, Hibernian, and Hearts in just over a week. “It’s all about improvement and developing our identity. We know there are areas to strengthen, and that’s been our focus from day one.” Despite their semi-final collapse, Thelin emphasised the importance of a fresh approach: “We can’t live in the past. This is a different game, and we’re determined to take a big step forward.” Rodgers’ Praise and Tactical Adjustments Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers remains complimentary of Thelin’s work at Aberdeen, describing the Swede’s efforts as a “fantastic job” despite recent struggles. “Pittodrie is always a tough venue,” Rodgers noted. “Aberdeen are well-structured and clear in their approach, so we’re preparing for a real challenge.” Celtic’s depth allows Rodgers the luxury of rotation, and his recent changes paid dividends in their 5-0 win over Ross County. “The players’ energy, pressing, and attacking intent were outstanding,” he said. While Rodgers hinted he might rotate again, he was quick to praise his squad’s consistency and adaptability. Lessons from Liverpool Former Aberdeen manager Barry Robson drew parallels between this match and Liverpool’s tactical blueprint against Manchester City, urging the Dons to blend aggression with discipline. “You can’t just go all-out against Celtic because of their quality,” Robson said. “It’s about finding the right balance—when to press, when to sit back, and when to play.” The tight confines of Pittodrie, coupled with a passionate home crowd, could be a factor in unsettling Celtic’s rhythm. According to Robson, the key to success lies in stifling Celtic’s influential midfield duo, Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate. “Flood the middle of the pitch,” he advised. “Don’t let McGregor and Hatate control the game. React quickly, win the ball back, and transition forward with purpose. It’s all about bravery and belief.” What’s at Stake For Celtic, this match represents a chance to tighten their grip on the title race and edge closer to a fourth consecutive league triumph. For Aberdeen, it’s an opportunity to reignite their campaign and prove they can compete with the league’s dominant force. As the Scottish Premiership’s top two prepare to lock horns, all eyes will be on Pittodrie to see whether Celtic can extend their dominance or if Aberdeen can rise to the challenge and keep the title race alive.