Celtic

Celtic hungry for first derby win – Sadiku

Celtic boss Elena Sadiku says getting the better of their Glasgow rivals for the first time in four attempts is a priority with the title gone and European qualification now all but impossible, something which the side are still coming to terms with. “The loss against Glasgow City was a horrible one when it comes to  not performance maybe, but in terms of how we lost it. And also, when we lost it, we knew that the league is probably going to be out of reach now and it’s a tough one to swallow,” said Sadiku. “Obviously, even if we haven’t won silverware, we wrote history and we managed to do something incredible in the first part of the season. In the second part of the season, we’ve not been consistent, we’ve not been good enough to really compete for the league.” However, Sadiku believes her side have reset full focus on finishing the league campaign on a high, against a side they have been unable to beat in three attempts, with two draws and a loss to date. “We have still nine points to play for and that’s the biggest focus we have right now. Rangers on Sunday, they’re still obviously fighting for their place in the league,” she said. “Yes, they are five points behind Hibs. But it’s a Glasgow derby and we’re going to treat it as a Glasgow derby. We have struggled to get results in these derbies over the last few games.” With one eye on the weekend, Sadiku also has one cast on the summer and plans to strengthen the side. “Like I’ve said before, I think we need more leaders as well in terms of the situation that we’ve had this season. We have a part-time captain and a part-time vice-captain and that cannot be the case for next season. We need more consistency in the camp all the time.”

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Lawton balancing individual success with collective failure

Ahead of their clash with Rangers, Celtic’s Emma Lawton says this season has been a “huge disappointment” despite picking up the PFA Player of the Year award and a first international cap. “I don’t really care about myself, I only care about the team,” said Lawton before adding “we know we’ve not been good enough this season. Having the Champions League and the number of games we’ve played hasn’t helped, but  we need to reflect as a squad and we haven’t been good enough.” After winning the league last season and competing in Europe, the side are now sat fourth and having failed to earn silverware from four competitions. After three fixtures this season, Celtic are yet to secure a win over their Glasgow rivals but the defender believes the derby can be a platform to end the season on a more positive note. “We’ve played them a lot this season. So we kind of know where their strengths are, but we also know where we can exploit them,” said Lawton. “A lot of it is just stuff that we can control ourselves, like moving the ball quicker  and just trying to keep the ball more. I think that’s something that we’ve kind of  lacked a bit throughout the season.” Despite the disappointment, Lawton spoke of her pride at being selected as the player of the year by her peers. “Getting the PFA award was really special because I think it’s players within the league voting for you. So to get that kind of  recognition from the league is, yeah, I’m really proud about it,” she said before adding what it meant to her family. “They’ve just been really, really happy and really proud. I think I’ve got a really close family. So it’s just nice to share those moments with them.”

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Idah Strikes as Celtic Deny Rangers a Final Flourish at Ibrox

On a day when Celtic had little to prove but plenty of pride to protect, Adam Idah ensured that Rangers’ hopes of ending their domestic campaign with bragging rights were reduced to rubble at Ibrox. The Irishman’s deflected second-half strike not only cancelled out Cyriel Dessers’ opener but extended Rangers’ winless run at home against their bitter rivals to a historically grim seventh game — the longest such sequence in their storied history. While the title had long been sewn up by Brendan Rodgers’ side, the notion that this derby was meaningless was swiftly laughed off in a contest crackling with tension, controversy, and old scores still to be settled. Barry Ferguson, leading Rangers in what may well be his final Old Firm bout as interim boss, demanded fire and purpose from his players — and, for the first 45 minutes, he got it. Nicolas Raskin thought he’d broken the deadlock with an early header, but VAR’s icy grip ruled him offside. Celtic looked vulnerable — particularly from set-pieces, a flaw Rodgers had flagged pre-match — and were lucky to see Leon Balogun’s point-blank header clatter the bar rather than the net. Eventually, the breakthrough came. It was Dessers again — goal number 25 in a season marked as much by scrutiny as by strikes. A flowing Rangers move ended with the striker shrugging off Liam Scales and burying his finish low past Sinisalo to ignite Ibrox. But as they’ve done so often this season, Celtic responded with maturity and steel. Maeda’s burst down the left forced chaos in the box, and when the ball fell to Idah, the striker swivelled smartly before drilling a shot — via a deflection — beyond Liam Kelly. The linesman’s flag came up. For a moment, Ibrox celebrated. But VAR — this time in Celtic’s favour — ruled that Maeda was passive, not interfering. Goal. One apiece. Rangers, for all their aggression, couldn’t muster another telling blow. Celtic, though far from fluid, managed the latter stages smartly, denying the hosts any clear sight of a winner. Maeda might’ve stolen all three points late on but scuffed a golden chance on the break. In the end, it was a result that encapsulates much of Rangers’ season: promise, frustration, and familiar failings at home. Talking Points Rangers’ Ibrox Curse DeepensSeven without a win against Celtic at Ibrox is more than a blemish — it’s a scar on the psyche of a club still reeling from losing the league with barely a whimper. Ferguson’s men showed character but once again lacked killer instinct. Celtic’s Mentality Remains UnshakenAlready champions, and having shipped three goals in each of their previous three derbies, Celtic might have wilted. Instead, they dug in and salvaged a point through grit and nous — exactly the qualities that have made Rodgers’ men worthy champions. Idah’s Big MomentIt hasn’t been a headline-grabbing spell in Glasgow for the Republic of Ireland striker, but in the white-hot atmosphere of Ibrox, he delivered. His sharp turn and finish spoke of a player growing into the shirt at just the right time. What They Said Barry Ferguson, Rangers interim head coach: “The effort and energy were there. We scored a good goal and handled most of what Celtic threw at us. But the quality in key moments — that’s where we need to improve.” Brendan Rodgers, Celtic manager: “Once we adapted to their shape, I thought we controlled large parts of the game. The goal was deserved, and I never felt like we were under sustained pressure. It’s a result that reflects the character in the team.”

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Celtic title challenge all but over after dominant City display

Celtic’s title and European ambitions hang by a thread as they were blown away by Glasgow City in an impressive first-half. Beating a retreating Celtic defence for pace, Nicole Kozlova had it all to do but fired home the opener from an angle tighter than the gap between the two sides up until that point. Putting some distance between the two teams, Kozlova bagged a brace before the half-hour mark after a poor clearance from Kelsey Daugherty allowed Brenna Lovera to put the opportunity on goal for her teammate on a plate. Disaster struck for the visitors with the Celtic keeper again at fault, unable to shift the ball before Lovera picked her pocket and opened a three goal margin to leave Elena Sadiku scrambling to save her season. Despite the difficult half, Celtic began to mount a comeback as Lucy Ashworth-Clifford tapped the ball in at the back post after some good work from substitute Katherine Loferski to get the ball across the face of goal. Kolzlova came ever so close to a hat-trick but for a strong save from Daugherty at point blank range late in the first-half, the keeper also forced into a fingertip save as Hayley Lauder’s cross looked to be heading for the top corner. Celtic struggled to create chances but Murphy Agnew was brilliantly denied by a sprawling Lee Gibson in a rare goalscoring opportunity for the away side. Victory sees City move level on points with Hibernian having played a game more whilst Celtic trail both by eight with three games of the seasons left to play. More to follow …   Line-ups: Glasgow City: Gibson, Smit (Muir 84), Walsh, van Diemen, Määttä (Fulton 71), Gambone, Lauder (c) (Whelan 71), Motlhalo (Lockwood 84), Evans, Lovera (Wróbel 87), Kozleva Unused subs: Anderson, Easdon, Forrest, Love Goals: Kozlova (24, 30), Lovera (45) Booked: Smit, Lovera Celtic: Daugherty, Barclais, Bruna Lourenço, Clark (c), Lawton, Nakao, Ashworth-Clifford (Harrison 77), McAneny (Smith 77), Gallacher (Cavanagh 86), Noonan, Agnew (Loferski 53) Unused subs: Carstnes, Dawson, Rodgers Goals: Ashworth-Clifford (54) Booked: Gallacher

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Celtic Crush Saints in Semi-Final Showdown to March Into Final

Celtic unleashed a breathtaking blitz of first-half brilliance to dismantle St Johnstone 5-0 at Hampden Park, booking their place in next month’s Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen and staying firmly on course for an unprecedented ninth domestic treble. Brendan Rodgers extended his perfect personal record at the national stadium to 14 wins, as his side lit up the semi-final with a ruthless display of attacking football, scoring four times in just 12 minutes before the break. The tone was set early. From the opening whistle, Celtic pinned St Johnstone deep into their own half, probing and pressing with increasing menace. The breakthrough arrived courtesy of Callum McGregor, who guided in a pinpoint finish to cap a dominant opening spell. That goal opened the floodgates. McGregor turned provider moments later, slipping in a sublime pass toward Daizen Maeda. Sam Curtis’s attempted interception only redirected the ball kindly into the Japanese forward’s path, and Maeda made no mistake. From there, the goals kept coming. Adam Idah tapped home the third after slick build-up play, and Maeda struck again almost immediately to make it 4-0—his 33rd goal of a remarkable season. St Johnstone, who had upset Celtic in the league just a fortnight earlier, were left shell-shocked. The team that once dared to dream of another Hampden upset now looked desperate for half-time refuge. But Celtic weren’t done. Rodgers brought on fresh firepower in the second half, with Jota and Nicolas Kuhn joining the action. Jota added a fifth from a tight angle, just minutes after James Forrest saw a penalty award overturned by VAR. Mackenzie Kirk had a stunning finish chalked off for offside, rubbing further salt into the Saints’ wounds. For Celtic, this was a statement—a warning shot fired not only at Aberdeen but at anyone questioning their domestic dominance. Alistair Johnston had said the recent league defeat in Perth had been a needed jolt. If that was a wake-up call, this was Celtic wide awake and in full flight. Maeda and Forrest tore down the wings, the midfield controlled the tempo with authority, and the relentless press never let up. With five players coming off the bench who would walk into most starting XIs, Rodgers has an enviable depth. His side looked every inch the champions-in-waiting, with only 90 minutes now standing between them and another historic clean sweep. As for St Johnstone, they’ll need to shake off this bruising loss quickly. Simo Valakari’s men were simply outclassed, and though they managed a league victory over Celtic earlier in the month, they were nowhere near the same level here. There were glimpses of effort, but mistakes proved fatal. Misplaced passes, failed clearances, and a struggle to break Celtic’s press led to an afternoon of damage limitation. With five Premiership matches left to secure survival, the Saints must regroup fast. Post-match reactions Brendan Rodgers, Celtic manager:“I’m delighted with the performance. After the first goal, we really took control. Five goals and it could’ve been more – a great display to reach another final.” Simo Valakari, St Johnstone manager:“Celtic can do that to any team. They’re ruthless. We didn’t do enough to get a result and gave away soft goals. But I’m still proud of the team’s effort throughout this cup run.”

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Celtic One Result Away from Title as Post-Split Premiership Fixtures Confirmed

Celtic could secure the Scottish Premiership crown on 26 April when they visit Dundee United, needing just a draw to mathematically confirm their dominance. The reigning champions hold a commanding 15-point advantage over Rangers with only five games left, putting them on the verge of a 13th league title in 14 seasons. In a post-split schedule that raises some familiar concerns about fixture balance, the SPFL has now confirmed the remaining fixtures for both the top and bottom halves of the table. The final Old Firm clash of the campaign is set for Sunday 4 May at Ibrox – a potentially fiery occasion even if the title is already wrapped up. Aberdeen kick off their top-six run with a home tie against Hibernian, while Rangers will travel to face St Mirren in their opener. The top-six fixtures will all conclude on Saturday 17 May with simultaneous 12:30 BST kick-offs. However, the post-split format has once again led to some uneven home-and-away tallies. Hibernian must travel to St Mirren for a third time this season, granting the Buddies 20 home matches and only 18 away. Motherwell, meanwhile, will end their campaign having played 20 away fixtures. It’s the first season since 2017-18 where fixture balance couldn’t be maintained across the league. At the other end of the table, St Johnstone begin their survival bid away to Motherwell. They sit bottom, five points behind the rest with time running out. Just six points separate seventh-placed Hearts from 11th-placed Dundee, with only the side finishing 12th relegated automatically. The team in 11th will enter the play-offs. Bottom-half clubs will conclude their campaigns a day later than the top six, with all games on Sunday 18 May at 15:00 BST. 🔝 Top Six Fixtures Saturday 26 April Dundee United v Celtic (12:30) Aberdeen v Hibernian (15:00) St Mirren v Rangers (15:00) Saturday 3 May Hibernian v Dundee United (15:00) St Mirren v Aberdeen (15:00) Sunday 4 May Rangers v Celtic (12:00) Saturday 10 May Celtic v Hibernian (15:00) Dundee United v St Mirren (15:00) Sunday 11 May Rangers v Aberdeen (12:00) Wednesday 14 May Aberdeen v Celtic (19:45) Rangers v Dundee United (19:45) St Mirren v Hibernian (19:45) Saturday 17 May (All 12:30) Celtic v St Mirren Dundee United v Aberdeen Hibernian v Rangers 🔻 Bottom Six Fixtures Saturday 26 April Hearts v Dundee (15:00) Kilmarnock v Ross County (15:00) Motherwell v St Johnstone (15:00) Saturday 3 May Dundee v Motherwell (15:00) Ross County v Hearts (15:00) St Johnstone v Kilmarnock (15:00) Saturday 10 May Hearts v Motherwell (15:00) Kilmarnock v Dundee (15:00) St Johnstone v Ross County (15:00) Wednesday 14 May Dundee v Ross County (19:45) Hearts v St Johnstone (19:45) Motherwell v Kilmarnock (19:45) Sunday 18 May (All 15:00) Kilmarnock v Hearts Ross County v Motherwell St Johnstone v Dundee  

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Celtic Punish St Mirren in Seven-Goal Thriller to Close in on Title

Celtic moved another step closer to retaining the Scottish Premiership title with a pulsating 5-2 victory over St Mirren in Paisley, extending their lead at the top of the table to 16 points. With just three more wins required to seal a fourth consecutive championship, Brendan Rodgers’ side could wrap up the title as early as the first week of April if they overcome Rangers and Hearts in their next two fixtures before heading to Perth to face St Johnstone. St Mirren, however, did not make it easy for the champions-elect, twice clawing their way back into the contest before Celtic’s superior squad depth proved decisive. A late brace from Yang Hyun-jun, either side of a fine Daizen Maeda strike, secured a hard-fought but ultimately emphatic victory for the visitors. Maeda, in sensational form, netted his 13th goal in 12 games, while Yang’s electric two-goal cameo will give Rodgers plenty to consider ahead of the upcoming title-defining fixtures. Celtic edged in front at the break thanks to Jeffrey Schlupp’s first goal for the club, clinically steering the ball inside the post, and an Arne Engels penalty. Sandwiched between was a stunning free-kick from St Mirren’s Declan John, a curling effort that left Kasper Schmeichel with no chance. The Celtic goalkeeper was called into action twice in quick succession before the interval, denying Toyosi Olusanya one-on-one and then reacting superbly to keep out a Mark O’Hara effort. The second half saw further drama as Ryan Alebiousu, having earlier conceded the penalty, redeemed himself by setting up Killian Phillips for a thunderous equaliser that bounced into the net beyond a helpless Schmeichel. However, Celtic’s bench ultimately made the difference. Yang’s introduction injected fresh energy and creativity, and his impact was instant. The South Korean winger assisted Maeda for a cool finish before adding two goals of his own to put the game beyond doubt. Substitute Luke McCowan also struck the post in a vibrant late spell for the visitors. St Mirren Show Fight but Fall Short Manager Stephen Robinson will take pride in his team’s effort despite the defeat. His side pressed Celtic aggressively, created several clear-cut chances, and forced Schmeichel into multiple fine saves. However, they will rue the needless penalty concession that gave Celtic a foothold in the match. Despite the loss, St Mirren remain well in the hunt for a top-six finish, with performances like this proving they are more than capable of competing with the league’s elite. Celtic’s Strength in Depth Shines Through For Rodgers’ side, this was another demonstration of their relentless pursuit of success. Even on a difficult surface and against a stubborn opponent, Celtic’s quality prevailed. Callum McGregor’s rare substitution did little to disrupt their rhythm, with McCowan adding energy and attacking intent. Jota and Yang further tipped the balance in Celtic’s favour, their introductions stretching St Mirren’s tiring defence. Schlupp will be buoyed by his first goal for the club, while Engels continues to impress in his debut season with his 10th goal of the campaign. With a Scottish Cup tie against Hibernian up next, followed by the crunch league showdown with Rangers, Celtic’s momentum remains firmly intact. What They Said St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: “I don’t think many teams press Celtic like that or create that many chances, but we didn’t take enough of them. That’s been the story of our season – we can’t afford a striker that gets 20 goals. There are very good aspects to that performance, but we want to come away with three points.” Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: “I think it’s one of my favourite results of the season, coming to St Mirren, who have put in some really strong performances. It’s a brilliant three points for us. Our attacking play was excellent. On a difficult surface, the players were technically superb.”

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Dundee 3-3 Celtic: Player ratings from Dens Park

Oluwaseun Adewumi’s shines against another Old Firm side whilst Auston Trusty can have no complaints. Dundee 3-4-2-1 Trevor Carson (capt) Continues to put his body on the line but should have done better collecting Kyogo’s low cross for second. 6 Clark Robertson Dealing with such a potent Celtic attack is no easy job but confusion with Carson leads to Celtic regaining lead. 6 Ryan Astley Kept Idah quiet all night and did little wrong despite the scoreline. 7 Aaron Donnelly Did not come off too badly in duel with Kyogo and got the better of Trusty to score an all important goal. 8 Josh Mulligan Lovely feet and worked absolutely tirelessly down the right hand side. His deflected cross for an own goal saw him end the night with an assist. 8 Ethan Ingram His biggest impact comes in attack and has shown he can mix it with the best taking on full backs. However should have tracked McCowan for opener and was beaten by Kyogo’s ball for second. 5 Mo Sylla Strong on the ball and continues to be a good outlet to build attacks. Unfortunate however to give away penalty with handball in dying moments. 6 Cesar Garza Built on a solid first outing for more of the same. A nicely balanced skillset and his tackle helped set Simon Murray off for the counter. 7 Finlay Robertson No Cameron no problem as the midfielder bagged not one, but fine assists on the night. A physical presence giving Celtic’s defenders no rest. 8 Oluwaseun Adewumi Almost followed McGregor to the bathroom at half time such was his proficiency in man marking. Attacked with verve and scored a terrific goal after a tidy bit of footwork to get space from Johnston. What a job Dundee have done to extend his loan. 8 Simon Murray Continues to be every defender’s most irritating opponent. Looking for contact and earning his side free kicks up the park. As mentioned, burst of pace helped create second. Yellow for abusing the referee put a dampener on the striker’s evening. 7 SUBSTITUTES: Seb Palmer-Houlden (for Murray 82′) n/a; Lyall Cameron (for Robertson 87′) Bedbound with illness this week but part of bench that had too little time to make a positive impact and were not at fault for equaliser n/a; Scott Tiffoney (for Garza 87′) n/a.   Celtic (4-1-4-1) Kasper Schmeichel Little he could do about first and third but arguably could have covered himself with a little more glory as Adewumi’s effort slipped past him. 6 Alistair Johnston A player who has become almost irreplaceable for Rodgers, filling in at right back, winger, centre mid, you name it. However as he will no doubt know, little errors cost games and he did not cover openside of goal well enough for second. 7 Auston Trusty Performance tonight will give Kilmarnock and Young Boys a little boost. Almost gave away a penalty before being beaten in the air by Donnelly. 4 Cameron Carter-Vickers A strong presence in the first half but look unrecognisable after the break as he began to fade. Unlucky but conceded an own goal all the same. 5 Greg Taylor Lacks the same impact Johnston has down the right and wasn’t helped by a lack of chemistry with Yang. Was launching himself into tackles by the way, giving the impression of desperation. 5 Callum McGregor (capt) Barely got a sniff due to Adewumi’s marking but looked threatening with rare opportunities when he managed to get away. 6 Yang Hyun-Jun God loves a trier and the winger continues to give everything but often without meaningful end product. However he grabbed a much needed goal for his efforts after getting his positioning spot on the score a header. 6 Paulo Bernardo Game was his for the taking if he was looking to play himself into a more permanent starting berth but failed to grab it. Agonisingly close with a header that hit the crossbar but being taken off after an hour tells you about the belief Rodgers had in his ability to create a winner. Booked before coming off. 6 Luke McCowan An early goal gave Celtic a much needed head start. Found himself filling in a right back with Johnston went forward as his impact lessened before being subbed off to applause from both sets of fans. 6 Kyogo Furuhashi Even on his quieter days Kyogo is a different class. Couple of crosses not met by anyone before Yang finally made one count. Electric movement kept Dundee on their toes. Impact lessened when moved up front. 7 Adam Idah Another difficult evening for the striker whose last league goal dates back to November. Needs to show more of the player who won the Scottish Cup Final last year. 5 SUBSTITUTES: Arne Engels (for Bernardo 61′) Not a brilliant first half hour but delivered when it mattered to rescue a point with penalty 7; Nicolas Kuhn (for Idah 61′) Immediate impact before shot gave Celtic the penalty 7; Reo Hatate (for McCowan 61′) Did not quite match output of previous two but ammended sloppy passing in midfield 6; Luis Palma (for Taylor 71′) A couple of spurts down the left but not much more 6; Alex Valle (for Yang 71′) Game at that stage did not seem to require his contributions 6.    

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Amissah heroics can’t stop Celtic trouncing to open 18 point gap

Ross County 1 (0) J. White 60′ (pen) Celtic 4 (1) K. Furuhashi 40′, 81′, A. Engels 90+6′ (pen), L. McCowan 90+8′   An inspired Celtic met County’s resistance with brute force, putting four past the home side despite the heroics of keeper Jordan Amissah to extend their lead to 18 points, albeit having played a game more than Rangers. Having banged on the door for forty minutes, Kyogo Furuhashi was the heartbreaker as he met Alistair Johnston’s bouncing cross for a cool finish. Unfortunately the right back was at fault for County’s response, having pushed Phillips in the back as he tried to meet 14s cross with Jordan White making no mistake from the spot. That was as good as it got for the home side as Arne Engels escaped his marker to send a dipping ball into the box met by the onrushing Kyogo with nine minutes of normal time left to play. Once opened, the floodgates could not be closed in the dying moments of the game. James Brown’s foul on Yang Hyun-Jun saw Engels convert the penalty with his second attempt after Amissah’s save was denied after he was adjudged to have stepped off his line. Demonstrating the gulf in class, Luke McCowan added the fourth eight minutes into added time as the midfielder completed a devastating counter attack for the visitors. Striker Adam Idah had a chance to add a goal of his own early on, collecting the ball from Kyogo’s effort but could not hit the target. Getting himself involved on the wing, Idah provided an accurate cross to tee up Alistair Johnstone’s flick behind the leg but Amissah was equal to it. County will rue not having taken their chances when the score was level, Josh Nisbet having poached the ball off Auron Trusty laid the ball into the feet of Noah Chilvers who should have done better than fire wide. In yet another moment of class, Amissah’s reflexes were on hand to deny Kyogo as Celtic pushed for an opener after Idah’s header back to the Japanese forward’s feet was brilliantly stopped just in front of the line. At hand to deny Celtic yet again, the keeper produced a terrific double save to first keep Idah out before batting Kyogo’s effort away. Yang and Alex Valle would have their turn at trying to beat the shot stopper but the German loanee made sure their names would not be added to the score sheet. Despite three wins from five, County could find themselves in the relegation play off place should Hearts get a result against Aberdeen.   Attendance: 6,254 Line-ups: Ross County (3-5-1-1): J. Amissah, E. Campbell, K. Lopata (J. Grieves 53’), A. Wright, G. Harmon, N. Kenneh (J. White 46’), C. Randall (c) (V. Loturi 85’), N. Chilvers, J. Brown, J. Nisbet (S. Allardice 85’), R. Hale (K. Phillips 46’) Substitutes: S. Allardice, J. Grieves, J. Hamilton, R. Lamie, V. Loturi, K. Phillips, J. Reid, C. Telfer, J White Celtic (4-1-4-1): K. Schmeichel, Alex Valle (L. Scales 85’), A. Trusty, C. Carter-Vickers, A. Johnston, C. McGregor (c), Yang Hyun-Jun, R. Hatate (L. McCowan 73’), A. Engels, K. Furuhashi, A. Idah (J. Kenny 73’) Substitutes: D. Cummings, Paulo Bernardo, J. Kenny, L. McCowan, A. Montgomery, A. Ralston, L. Scales, V. Sinisalo, G. Taylor Referee: Matthew MacDermid  

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Dominant Celtic extend lead to 16 with Dundee United victory

Venue: Celtic Park                                                               Date: 08/01/25                                                           Time: 19:45pm   Celtic continued their canter towards the title as they put Dundee United away with little difficulty, extending their lead at the top to 16 points. United’s resistance was broken all too easily as Jack Walton’s parried Luke McCowan’s curling effort into the path of Daizan Maeda for the opener. Having kept the score to one down with less than ten minutes to go, United were punished by Reo Hatate in their hunt for an equaliser when Maeda played a neat pass that Paulo Bernardo let slide through his legs for the Japanese midfielder to finish. In truth, United were fortunate to not have conceded sooner after Auston Trusty’s header from a pinpoint Arne Engels corner crashed off the crossbar. Slightly less accurate with his first opportunity on goal, Engels could do no better than fire an effort well over the bar following a good lay off from Adam Idah. The Belgian was however unlucky to see his next long range effort deflected over the bar as United struggled to break out of their own half. Jim Goodwin’s side face more of the same in the second half but Engels continued with his struggles for a goal, firing another effort off target from outside the penalty area. Substitute Kyogo Furuhashi at least tested the keeper as his header from a corner stung Walton’s palms. It would be over an hour but eventually the visitors managed a shot on target, sensing an equaliser was within reach, Glenn Middleton forced Kasper Schmeichel into a relatively comfortable save. Having subsequently gone two down, Sam Dalby was denied a consolation goal by the Dane who held on for a clean sheet. Despite a second consecutive defeat, Dundee United remain third, level on points with the struggling Aberdeen as they travel to St Mirren on Saturday. Celtic meanwhile travel up to Dingwall to face Ross County.   Line-Ups: Celtic (4-3-3): K. Schmeichel, G. Taylor, A. Trusty, C. Carter-Vickers, A. Johnston, A. Engels (Paulo Bernardo 80’), C. McGregor (c), L. McCowan (L. Palma 76’), D. Maeda, A. Idah (K. Furuhashi 62’), Yang Hyun-Jun (R. Hatate 62’) Substitutes: K. Furuhashi, Paulo Bernardo, R. Hatate, N. Kuhn, L. Palma, A. Ralston, L. Scales, V. Sinisalo, Alex Valle Dundee United (4-4-1-1): J. Walton, W. Ferry, R. Graham, D. Gallagher (c), E. Adegboyega, G. Middleton, V. Sevelj (R. Docherty 46’), R. Odada (L. Stephenson 59’), K. Fotheringham, K. Trapanovski (S. Dalby 60’), J. van der Sande (M. Thomson 78’) Substitutes: S. Harding, S. Dalby, R. Docherty, D. Richards, L. Stephenson, O. Stirton, R. Strain, M. Thomson, M. Ubochioma Referee: Kevin Clancy

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