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
