Match Pictures | Matches: 2024 – 2025
Trivia
- KO: 20:00, Tuesday; League Match 28; Sky Sports TV
- Celtic now 16pts in front on 72pts & +67GD, albeit Sevco play tomorrow.
- Debut for Jude Bonnar
- Things have changed! Earlier in the season Aberdeen were putting up a credible dog fight challenge to Celtic for the league title, but have since spectacularly collapsed.
- Alistair Johnston Calls for Goal-Line Technology After Celtic’s Controversial VAR Decision last weekend. His 100th appearance for Celtic tonight! Alistair Johnston has assisted his seventh goal at the Scottish Premiership this season. He leads the league in assists alongside teammate Daizen Maeda.
- Sevco sacked their manager Philippe Clement the day after last Saturday’s home defeat by St Mirren. Then announced ex-Rangers player Barry Ferguson as interim manager.
- Eintracht Frankfurt, Crystal Palace, Everton and Leeds United are among the clubs who have set their sights on Nicolas Kuhn.
- Church: Pope Francis asked Catholics to pray for him, as he continued to receive treatment in hospital for double pneumonia. The pontiff was unable to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer in person for the second Sunday running. Vatican revealed his condition continued to be “critical”.
- Report: Ex-Celt Ben Doak will be allowed to leave Liverpool this summer, with the 19-year-old not in their manager Arne Slot’s long-term plans.
- The Green Brigade have issued an apology to Celtic supporters after “regrettably impacting” their matchday experience. The Green Brigade’s short statement was published on their social media channels and read: “Apology to Supporters… In recent weeks, we have created incidents at matches that have regrettably impacted the experience of other supporters. These incidents have then been made worse by our poor handling of the situations. We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to all fans impacted by our conduct. We acknowledge that our support style isn’t to everyone’s preference.”
Summary
BBC: FULL-TIME Celtic 5-1 Aberdeenpublished at 21:55 Greenwich Mean Time 21:55 GMT Not a vintage Celtic performance, but still enough to crush their opposition. Aberdeen had plenty of chances in the first-half but passed up all of them. Celtic weren’t as merciful. Daizen Maeda, Jota, Callum McGregor and Yang Hyun-jun all got on the scoresheet, while Shayden Morris got a late consolation. Reaction to come.
Jonathan Sutherland BBC Sport Scotland: What more can you say about Celtic? 16 points clear and they will win the league. They are the best team in the country by some distance. A couple of months ago I would’ve said Nicolas Kuhn would be player of the season. But presumably he’s now been usurped by Daizen Maeda. Has to be said, Callum McGregor’s not been bad either. Brendan Rodgers simply has a wealth of talent at his disposal, and – the odd blip apart – they are far too good for the rest to handle. Daizen Maeda
Willie Miller Former Aberdeen captain on BBC Sportsound I don’t think the two experienced holding midfielders worked for Aberdeen, you need fresher legs to get about the park. I was really surprised Palaversa didn’t play and never even came off the bench. Although the intent was there, and it was refreshing, you have to defend as well. You can’t just go forward. They left themselves totally exposed and Celtic are too good a team to do that against. You’ve got to get the balance right.
Celtic attacker Jota tells Sky Sports: “I’m happy overall with the win. It was not the best performance in the first half, but we corrected some stuff and we could be ourselves again. “It is a process. It has been a lot of games. It has been a while since I had this competition every game. I’m just getting fit as soon as possible. Feeling better game after game. I can’t wait for the future. “I think, as a Celtic player, you always aim to do better. We are no different from that. Even though we have a [16-point] advantage, it does not mean we are going to take our foot off the pedal.”
Celtic midfielder Arne Engels tells Sky Sports: “I’m really happy. You see that we always bounce back after a defeat. The first-half was not our best first-half. Everybody was coming into the dressing room not happy, because some things were not going our way. We changed some things, looked after the ball and created lots of chances.”
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers tells BBC Scotland: “I’m really, really pleased with the result and in particular the second half.
“First half we weren’t quite there on our pressing and pressing is everything for us. We scored three goals and had some good moments but there were a number of ideas in the game we weren’t overly happy with at half-time.
“Second half we were excellent, much better in our pressing and they didn’t have comfort in the game to play.”
On his team’s capacity to respond to tough results, Rodgers says: “It’s one of the great traits of this team, that resilience they have to bounce back when we slip. The response has been very, very good. That’s a mark of the mentality of the team.”
On Daizen Maeda, who took his tally to 25 goals for the season, the Celtic boss hails his Japanese forward as a “a really important player for us and the symbol of the team and how we want to work.”
Rodgers adds: “He is not your traditional number nine, he moves in behind, anticipates things in the box when they drop, and is a wonderful example for our team, the work ethic, mentality, humility within it and when he plays wide or central, he scores for us.”
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin tells BBC Scotland: “We went out with a strong belief in our own things.
“The first half was 3-0 but we created some really good chances. That cost us a lot and that’s something we have to learn and improve.
“We have to improve in the duels, in the pressing, how we defended some areas of the pitch in transitions. We still have learning points and those were exposed today.
“That’s the journey we are on right now.”
Inside The SPFL @AgentScotland · 54m FT: Celtic 5-1 Aberdeen Such a strange game, Celtic were miles off it first half yet absolutely clinical at the same time and killed the game stone dead, the second half was a glorified session, Daizen Maeda is running away with the PotY now, never seen an attitude like his. Austin Trusty is such an awkward defender to put faith in, he looks really good in Europe where opponents attacks are more intricate, but he really struggles with the physicality in domestic competition, Kelvin Wilson had the exact same problems, something he needs to work on.
Brendan “Daizen is so alert. He anticipates where the ball is going to go. A remarkable contribution from him. He is a symbol for our team as I want that intensity in the press and he sets the tone. A wonderful symbol of how we play and how we work”.
Teams
Celtic
Manager: Brendan Rodgers
01 K. Schmeichel
15 J. Schlupp, subbed for L. Scales at 81mins
06 A. Trusty
20 C. Carter-Vickers
02 A. Johnston
41 R. Hatate, subbed for L. McCowan at 59mins
42 C. McGregor (c), Captain65′, Yellow Card at 65mins
27 A. Engels, subbed for J. Bonnar at 80mins
07 Jota, subbed for Yang Hyun-Jun at 59mins
38 D. Maeda
10 N. Kühn, subbed for A. Idah at 59mins
Subs:
59 J. Bonnar
09 A. Idah
24 J. Kenny
14 L. McCowan
47 D. Murray
56 A. Ralston
05 L. Scales
12 V. Sinisalo
13 Yang Hyun-Jun
Goals:
D. Maeda (24′, 90’+2)
Jota (30′)
C. McGregor (45′)
Yang Hyun-Jun (72′)
Assists:
A. Engels (30′, 45′), L. McCowan (72′), A. Johnston (90’+2)
Aberdeen
Manager: Jimmy Thelin
Formation: 4 – 2 – 3 – 1
31 R. Doohan
03 J. MacKenzie
05 M. Knoester
24 K. Tobers, subbed for A. Dorrington at 62mins
28 A. Jensen
04 G. Shinnie (c), Captain
06 S. Heltne Nilsen, subbed for L. Clarkson at 71mins
16 J. Okkels, subbed for S. Morris at 46mins
09 K. Nisbet, subbed for P. Guèye at 46mins
81 T. Keskinen
11 Oday Dabbagh, subbed for F. Boyd at 80mins
Subs:
32 P. Ambrose
30 F. Boyd
26 A. Dorrington
44 V. Enem
14 P. Guèye
20 S. Morris
10 L. Clarkson
18 A. Palaversa
01 D. Mitov
Goals:
S. Morris (90′)
Assists:
P. Guèye (90′)
Referee John Beaton
Video Assistant Referee Greg Aitken
Assistant Referee 1 Daniel McFarlane
Assistant Referee 2 Jonathan Bell
Fourth Official Calum Scott
Assistant VAR Official David Dunne
Venue:Celtic Park
Att:
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Match Links
- Prior
- Match
- Post
- MoTM
Stats
Overall possession
Celtic 69.2% Aberdeen 30.8%
Shots
Celtic 16 Aberdeen 8
Shots on target
Celtic 7 Aberdeen 1
Total touches inside the box
Celtic 22 Aberdeen 8
Goalkeeper saves
Celtic 0 Aberdeen 2
Fouls
Celtic 8 Aberdeen 13
Corners
Celtic 4 Aberdeen 3
Shots
Celtic 16 Aberdeen 8
Shots on target
Celtic 7 Aberdeen 1
Shots off target
Celtic 7 Aberdeen 4
Blocked shots
Celtic 2 Aberdeen 3
Attempts out of box
Celtic 7 Aberdeen 5
Total offside
Celtic 0 Aberdeen 3
Total tackles
Celtic 15 Aberdeen 17
Won tackles
Celtic 7 Aberdeen 10
Fouls
Celtic 8 Aberdeen 13
Total yellow cards
Celtic 1 Aberdeen 0
Total clearances
Celtic 18 Aberdeen 20
Headed clearances
Celtic 11 Aberdeen 5
Duels won
Celtic 54 Aberdeen 35
Errors leading to shots
Celtic 2 Aberdeen 0
Total passes
Celtic 778 Aberdeen 338
Accurate passes
Celtic 700 Aberdeen 255
Backward passes
Celtic 127 Aberdeen 66
Forward passes
Celtic 196 Aberdeen 121
Total long balls
Celtic 32 Aberdeen 54
Successful final third passes
Celtic 123 Aberdeen 49
Total crosses
Celtic 11 Aberdeen 11
Touches
Celtic 958 Aberdeen 491
Touches in the box
Celtic 22 Aberdeen 8
Dispossessed
Celtic 14 Aberdeen 8
Goalkeeper saves
Celtic 0 Aberdeen 2
Diving saves
Celtic 0 Aberdeen 1
Saved shots from outside the box
Celtic 0 Aberdeen 2
Keeper throws
Celtic 3 Aberdeen 3
Goal kicks
Celtic 6 Aberdeen 12
Match Facts
Celtic are unbeaten in their last 28 meetings with Aberdeen in all competitions (W22 D6) since a 0-1 defeat to home in May 2018.
Aberdeen remain the only side to avoid defeat and to even score away to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership this season, having drawn 2-2 with them at Celtic Park in October.
Celtic have won each of their last nine home league games by an aggregate score of 32-0. Never before in the club’s history have they won 10 in a row at home without conceding.
Aberdeen have only won one of their last 11 league games played on a Tuesday (D5 L5), a 3-0 win away at Ross County in January 2024.
Celtic’s Jota has scored five Scottish Premiership goals against Aberdeen – his most against any opponent in the competition.
Articles
Daizen Maeda scores twice as Celtic respond in style to hammer Aberdeen
Story by Ronnie Esplin, PA
Irish Examiner
Celtic bounced back from their recent double setback with a 5-1 win over Aberdeen to stretch their lead at the top of the William Hill Premiership to 16 points.
Brendan Rodgers’ side suffered a surprise defeat to Hibernian at Easter Road at the weekend after being knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich a week ago despite an impressive 1-1 draw in the second leg in Germany.
The Dons missed three good chances in the first half which ended with the home side leading through goals from Daizen Maeda, Jota and Callum McGregor, taking the jeopardy out of the second half.
Celtic substitute Yang Hyun-Jun added a fourth in the 72nd minute before Dons substitute Shayden Morris reduced the deficit in the last minute of normal time but there was time for Maeda to grab his second to complete a convincing victory.
With 10 fixtures remaining, Celtic moved further ahead of Old Firm rivals Rangers at the top of the table and are firmly on course for a domestic treble.
Jimmy Thelin had got Aberdeen back on track with three successive wins in all competitions after a horrendous run of league form but paid dearly for their first-half profligacy albeit they finished the night still in third place, one point ahead of Dundee United who host Hibs on Wednesday.
The fixtures continue to come thick and fast for the Hoops.
Rodgers reshuffled his pack with winger Jota, left-back Jeffrey Schlupp and midfielder Reo Hatate back in the side.
Thelin had asked his team for bravery but that appeared to be missing in the seventh minute as a swift counter-attack ended when Oday Dabbagh, making his first start, somehow failed to get a touch on a pass from Jeppe Okkels as keeper Kasper Schmeichel rushed out to meet him.
Moments later, the Hoops number one passed straight to Dons striker Kevin Nisbet but his shot sped past the far post.
It was two good opportunities spurned and almost inevitably they proved crucial.
Celtic’s first goal in the 24th minute came when Kristers Tobers’ interception of an Arne Engels through ball spun high into the air and when it came down, Maeda was first to react, volleying past hesitant keeper Ross Doohan from six yards.
Six minutes later Jota broke on the counter with pace against a stretched Dons defence and when his pass to Engels was returned he scuffed the ball into the net from 10 yards.
Aberdeen continued to pose problems going forward but missed another chance when Okkels was played in by Dabbagh but mis-hit his shot from 14 yards wide of the target and again the sloppy visitors were made to pay when McGregor curled in a third after getting the break of the ball just on half-time.
Thelin replaced Nisbet and Okkels with Morris and Pape Gueye for the start of the second half and soon Rodgers, with the points secure, brought on Adam Idah, Yang and Luke McCowan for Jota, Nicolas Kuhn and Hatate.
In keeping with Aberdeen’s night, Morris powered his way past Celtic defender Auston Trusty in the 64th minute but with only Schmeichel to beat he screwed his unconvincing effort past the far post.
Again, the visitors suffered when Yang worked a one-two with McCowan inside the Aberdeen box and slipped the ball past Doohan at the near post.
Midfielder Jude Bonnar, 19, came on to make his Celtic debut with 10 minutes remaining, before Morris beat Schmeichel at his near post with a powerful drive but Celtic ran back up the pitch and Maeda knocked an Alistair Johnston cross in from close range to finish the game on a high.
Five-star Celts sink Dons to extend league lead
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/february/25/five-star-celts-sink-dons-to-extend-league-lead/
First Team
By Paul Cuddihy, Celtic View Editor
Share
25 Feb 2025, 9:58 pm
Scottish Premiership
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Celtic Park, Glasgow
CELTIC… 5
(Maeda 24 & 90+2, Jota 30, McGregor 44, Yang 72)
ABERDEEN… 1
(Morris 90)
Celtic extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 16 points with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Aberdeen.
Goals from Jota, Callum McGregor, Yang and a Daizen Maeda double gave Brendan Rodgers’ side a comfortable victory as they returned to winning ways following the weekend defeat to Hibernian.
It was Aberdeen started the match on the front foot and they spurned two early chances to take the lead.
First, a break down the left from Jeppe Okkels saw him slot the ball across towards Oday Dabbagh, but Kasper Schmeichel blocked the set-up.
Then, a pass out from the Celtic keeper was intercepted but Kevin Nisbet’s effort went narrowly wide.
And Jimmy Thelin’s side would come to rue those early misses as Celtic stepped up the pressure and took the lead in the 24th minute through Daizen Maeda with his 24th goal of what has been an exceptional season for the Japanese striker.
It was Arne Engels who threaded a through ball inside the area which was deflected into the path of Maeda, who slotted the ball home from eight yards out.
And on the half-hour mark Celtic doubled their lead with a stunning counter-attack that began when Nicolas Kuhn won the ball on the edge of his own area.
He fired it forward to Jota who surged over the halfway line, dragging two defenders towards him and leaving space for Arne Engels.
He passed it inside to the Belgian midfielder who returned the favour when it looked as though he would take the shot, and Jota bundled the ball into the net to make it 2-0.
And just before the break, Callum McGregor made it 3-0 with a cool right-foot finish just inside the area for his ninth goal of the campaign.
69%
Possession
31%
16
Shots
8
7
Shots On Target
1
4
Corners
3
8
Fouls
13
1
0
Cards
0
0
The second half began much like the first, with Aberdeen pushing forward in search of a goal, though the first clear-cut chance fell to Reo Hatate on 55 minutes, but his shot from the edge of the area went high and wide.
Just after the hour mark, the visitors spurned a great chance to reduce the deficit when substitute Shayden Morris raced through on goal, but his shot from inside the area went just wide of the target.
Celtic’s fourth goal of the night came in the 72 minute and was a well-worked goal started and finished by Yang.
He cut in from the right and played a one-two on the edge of the area with Arne Engels and then laid the ball off to Luke McCowan before continuing into the box for the return pass and steering the ball into the net at the near post.
Celtic continued to create more chances, with Adam Idah combining well with Yang before turning inside the area and shooting over.
And then the ever impressive Engels had a left-foot effort from the edge of the area saved, while Maeda tried his luck from inside the box but his left-foot effort was also just wide.
There was also a first-team debut for 19-year-old Jude Bonnar, who came on with 10 minutes remaining as Celtic secured another important three points.
A late goal in the 90th minute from Shayden Morris was only a consolation for the visitors, though they remain the only side to have scored a league goal against the Hoops at Celtic Park this season
And the scoring wasn’t finished, though, as Daizen Maeda knocked the ball home from an Alistair Johnston cross to make it 5-1 to the Hoops.
Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Schlupp (Scales 81′), Engels (Bonnar 80′), McGregor, Hatate (McCowan 59′), Kühn (Idah 59′), Maeda, Jota (Hyunjun Yang 59′)
Subs: Scales, Idah, Sinisalo, Hyunjun Yang, McCowan, Kenny, Murray, Ralston, Bonnar
Aberdeen: Doohan, Jensen, Tobers (Dorrington 62′), Knoester, MacKenzie, Heltne Nilsen (Clarkson 71′), Shinnie, Keskinen, Nisbet (Guèye 45′), Okkels (Morris 45′), Oday Dabbagh (Boyd 80′)
Subs: Mitov, Clarkson, Guèye, Palaversa, Morris, Dorrington, Boyd, Ambrose, Enem
BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/czje9g4prv2t#Report
Jamie Lyall
BBC Sport Scotland
Ruthless Celtic extended their advantage at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 16 points by cruising past Aberdeen in Glasgow.
Brendan Rodgers’ side were within minutes of setting a new record of 10 successive home league victories without conceding a goal before Shayden Morris’ 90th-minute consolation.
It was, however, a rare shaft of light on a gloomy evening for Aberdeen, who failed to capitalise on their sprightly start. Oday Dabbagh spurned a chance from close range and Kevin Nisbet steered wide after a wayward pass from Kasper Schmeichel.
Celtic showed no such mercy at the other end. First-half goals from Daizen Maeda, Jota and Callum McGregor effectively killed the contest.
Maeda – with a similarly opportunistic effort to Saturday’s strike at Hibernian – seized upon on a deflected Arne Engels shot, burning Mats Knoester to volley in.
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Celtic’s second was a piece of counter-attacking artistry. Nicolas Kuhn set the champions galloping off with a fabulous pass on the edge of his own box to unleash Jota, who switched play to Engels on the right.
The Belgian moved into the area and returned to Jota to scoop into the net.
Jeppe Okkels wasted another enticing Aberdeen opening, blasting straight into Alistair Johnston, before McGregor’s ruthless side-foot finish piled on the misery.
The second half yielded few chances, Maeda menacing from Reo Hatate’s curler, Aberdeen’s Morris rolling tamely wide after robbing Auston Trusty and haring into the box, before Toppi Keskinen ran himself into trouble rather than shooting.
Typically, Celtic made them pay, Luke McCowan sliding in Yang Hyun-jun to stab past Ross Doohan from six yards.
Now lacking in gumption, Aberdeen were a broken team.
Their last act of defiance came when Morris overpowered Liam Scales and shot through Schmeichel from a tight angle, who whacked a post in frustration at a clean sheet now stained and record ripped from his grasp.
As if stirred by the concession, Celtic had the final say, Maeda knocking in a terrific Johnston cross in stoppage time.
Aberdeen remain a solitary point above Dundee United, who host Hibs on Wednesday, while Celtic’s procession towards another title continues apace.
Celtic’s best not required to prevail
Celtic’s vast arsenal of attacking weaponry was not required here.
The league leaders were hardly irrepressible. Their distribution was a little off, their timing not quite in sync, and connections not as crisp as they often are.
There were shaky moments defensively, if nothing to induce palpitations among the locals.
Yet by the time the teams trooped off at the break, Celtic had built an unassailable lead. Where Aberdeen squandered their openings, their hosts feasted on slackness.
They played much of the contest in second gear, but second gear was plenty.
McCowan, Yang and Adam Idah made influential contributions off the bench. The tireless Maeda buzzed around like a wasp. Their persistence and willingness to recycle possession was telling even when so many attacks were fruitless.
After the gut-wrenching Champions League exit in Munich, and the angst-ridden loss at Easter Road, a perfunctory home win will do just fine.
Aberdeen left ruing missed opportunities
Winning at Celtic Park requires defensive solidity and a killer instinct up front and Aberdeen, ambitious and full of positive intent as they were, delivered neither.
Jimmy Thelin pledged to be true to his side’s tactical identity, and there was little change to the aggressive blueprint which saw his team keep pace with the Glasgow juggernaut early in the season, and record a belligerent 2-2 draw here.
What was missing, was Aberdeen’s bloodlust in the Celtic box.
Dabbagh’s lack of conviction in pursuing his early chance. Nisbet’s miscue when presented with an open goal from 20 yards out, Morris’ powderpuff effort when one-on-one with Schmeichel told the tale of a profligate evening.
Corners failed to beat the first man. Promising positions were frittered away. And when possession was surrendered, Aberdeen were left desperately exposed, notably for Celtic’s second goal.
They simply got too much wrong, at too unforgiving a venue.
What they said
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: “First half we weren’t quite there on our pressing and pressing is everything for us.
“We scored three goals and had some good moments but there were a number of ideas in the game we weren’t overly happy with at half-time.
“Second half we were excellent, much better in our pressing and they didn’t have comfort in the game to play.”
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: “The first half was 3-0 but we created some really good chances. That cost us a lot and that’s something we have to learn and improve.
“We have to improve in the duels, in the pressing, how we defended some areas of the pitch in transitions. We still have learning points and those were exposed today.
“That’s the journey we are o.”
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