| Match Pictures | Matches: 2000 – 2001 | 2000-2001 Pictures |
Trivia
- Celtic took a massive step towards being crowned champions at Celtic Park next Saturday with a hard-fought victory over Aberdeen.
- Didier Agathe's second-half strike enabled Celtic to continue with plans for a promotion party on Saturday.
- Now successive home wins over Dundee in midweek and St Mirren on Saturday will hand Celtic the title and the second leg of a possible domestic treble.
Review
Aberdeen began the game as one of only four Scottish sides to have walked off a football pitch without having been beaten by Celtic.
Mackie saw an early shot gathered by Rab Douglas and Darren Young saw Joos Valgaeren get in the way of another as the Dons took the early initiative.
But this was a Celtic side that had seen Douglas, Alan Thompson and Agathe restored to it and eventually they took control of the game.
Larsson's first sniff of a goal turned out to be a clear chance when he dived to head a Neil Lennon free-kick wide.
There was no Chris Sutton following his CIS Insurance Cup sending off but replacement Tommy Johnson came close with a header from a Thompson free-kick from the other flank. Johnson was quick to get to the ball ahead of his marker but his header flew straight into Ryan Esson's gloves when a few inches either side might have given the young goalkeeper real problems.
Ramon Vega was keen to get forward and he fired a shot from the edge of the box that flew only just wide.
Lennon and McGuire swapped bookings after the restart.
O'Neill then made a double change, with Johnson and Healy making way for Moravcik and Jackie McNamara.
It was the Slovak's arrival that was to prove decisive as he went on a goalward run that Aberdeen could only partially check and Agathe drilled the ball past Esson to give Celtic the lead.
It was all Celtic after that with Larsson almost notching the goal that would have seen him equal Charlie Nicholas' post-war club record for a season. He nipped in to loft the ball over the advancing Esson but it bounced wide of the post and the Swede remained stuck on 47.
Moravcik was involved in everything now and struck a post with a drive before blasting over a good opportunity after Larsson had unselfishly set him up.
Teams
Aberdeen:-
Esson, McNaughton, McGuire, Whyte, McAllister, Mackie, Rowson, Darren Young (Belabed 82), Stavrum, Derek Young (Clark 82), Winters.
Subs not used:- Preece, Solberg, Dow.
Booked:- McGuire.
Celtic:-
Douglas, Mjallby, Vega, Valgaeren, Agathe, Healy (McNamara 65), Lambert, Lennon, Thompson, Larsson, Johnson (Moravcik 64).
Subs not used:- Gould, Boyd, Crainey.
Goal:- Agathe 73.
Booked:- Lennon.
Att:- 16,067
Ref:- K Clark.
Articles
Pictures
Agathe puts Celtic on glory trail
BBC
Sunday, 1 April, 2001, 19:37 GMT 20:37 UK
Aberdeen 0-1 Celtic
Celtic took a massive step towards being crowned champions at Celtic Park next Saturday with a hard-fought victory over Aberdeen thanks to a Didier Agathe goal.
There was never any danger of the type of rout one has come to associate with these games, but Celtic always looked the better bet to score.
Ebbe Skovdahl's young team can take a great deal of credit from the manner in which they battled and, in a second-half spell, pressurised the Celtic defence.
But it was the unstoppable juggernaut that is Martin O'Neill's Celtic side which emerged triumphant at Pittodrie.
Arild Stavrum and Ramon Vega joust
Arild Stavrum and Ramon Vega joust
Now successive home wins over Dundee in midweek and St Mirren on Saturday will hand Celtic the title and the second leg of a possible domestic treble.
The goal when it came was a fairly scrappy affair, Aberdeen found themselves unable to clear their lines as substitute Lubo Moravcik threatened.
The ball fell to Agathe with his back to goal and he turned and shot in one movement.
The ball went through the legs of Kevin McNaughton and past the unsighted Ryan Esson.
Aberdeen had threatened themselves in the opening period of the second half, with David Rowson getting everything behind a long-range effort which Rab Douglas held well.
Quiet Larsson
Douglas could only watch as Darren Mackie beat Joos Valgaeren for pace on the hour mark and his shot flashed by the keeper's far post.
Celtic turned up the heat after that and Agathe's goal came in the middle of a series of attacks by the visitors.
Moravcik had a couple of efforts, one of which hit the post, but Celtic were, for once, unable to add to their tally.
The first half was remarkable only for its lack of goals – Aberdeen would have been more thankful for this than Celtic.
The young Dons side were ably marshalled by veteran Derek Whyte, who patrolled Henrik Larsson well, at the back.
Darren Mackie's pace down the right flank was also giving Joos Valgaeren some cause for concern.
For all that, Aberdeen did little to threaten Rab Douglas though the big keeper did his best to help their cause with a woeful attempt at dealing with a corner, but the danger was cleared.
While Celtic had not found the fluency that has been their hallmark under Martin O'Neill, they still looked the more likely to score.
Ramon Vega, who scored two goals on his Celtic debut against Aberdeen, was again posing problems for the Aberdeen defence and he came closest to scoring in the 34th minute.
A ball into the box fell kindly to the giant Swiss defender and his shot on the turn was only marginally wide of the post.
Ryan Esson dealt well with a Tommy Johnson header, while Henrik Larsson, who usually relishes the opportunity to play Aberdeen was being kept quiet.
Aberdeen: Esson, McNaughton, McGuire, Whyte, McAllister, Mackie, Rowson, Darren Young, Stavrum, Derek Young, Winters.
Subs: Preece, Solberg, Clark, Belabed, Dow.
Celtic: Douglas, Mjallby, Vega, Valgaeren, Agathe, Healy, Lambert, Lennon, Thompson, Larsson, Johnson.
Subs: Gould, Boyd, Crainey, McNamara, Moravcik.
Referee: Kenny Clark