2019-08-10: Motherwell 2-5 Celtic, SP

Match Pictures | Matches: 2019 – 2020 | 2019-20 Pictures

Trivia

• First Away League game of the season, 2nd league game of season.
• Celtic clearly top of the league on Goal Difference, scored 12 goals in two games.
• Kieran Tierney sold to Arsenal for record £25m.
• Celtic's first away victory over M'well in around 3 years.
• Ajer scores and his fast becoming a big defensive star.
• Jozo Simunovic will miss Celtic's first two Scottish Premiership matches of the season after being sent off during his side's pre-season game with St Gallen.
• Five different scorers today; Griffiths scores a free kick, and Christie scores apenalty.
• Sinclair: Expected to return to England this past week has not gone, and returned to play today.
• Reports that Leicester under ex-Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers tried to lure McGregor at last minute for £20m, but didn't happen thankfully.
• Defense is major concern. Boli & Julien did not have good games at all; M'well scored early and were on top for 30mins with many concerned.
• Reports of altercation post match between Scott Sinclair & M'well staff member.
• EPL transfer window is shut.

Review

Teams

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Forum

• Pre-match
• Match
• Post Match

MOTM

• Voting Thread
• Result Thread
• Winner –

Stats

Motherwell
Celtic

Possession
Home51%Away49%

Shots
Home11Away17

Shots on Target
Home3Away5

Corners
Home5Away5

Fouls
Home14Away8

Articles

Leigh Griffiths scored from a free-kick as Celtic recovered from an early setback to win 5-2 at Motherwell.

Leigh Griffiths scored from a free-kick as Celtic recovered from an early setback to win 5-2 at Motherwell.
Well were rewarded for a positive start with Liam Donnelly's strike but Kristoffer Ajer netted his first goal in Scottish football two minutes later.
The game remained in the balance until Griffiths netted from 22 yards out four minutes before the interval.
Celtic took control in the second half and goals from James Forrest and substitutes Odsonne Edouard and Ryan Christie took their Ladbrokes Premiership tally to 12 in two matches before Donnelly struck again in stoppage time.
The trip to Fir Park, where Motherwell had won nine of their previous 11 games, was an early test in Celtic's title defence given it came little over 48 hours after they returned from Romania.
Manager Neil Lennon made four changes following their 1-1 Champions League draw with Cluj. Nir Bitton and Christopher Jullien came into the back four for the suspended Jozo Simunovic and Hatem Abd Elhamed, who had a minor muscle problem, while Olivier Ntcham and Griffiths replaced Christie and Edouard.
Motherwell took the game to Celtic and Declan Gallagher headed wide from a corner before the hosts took a 12th-minute lead after another corner was cleared. Gallagher headed Liam Polworth's crossfield ball down to Donnelly and the midfielder volleyed inside Scott Bain's post from 20 yards.
Stephen Robinson's team did not have time to settle on their lead. Right-back Ajer drove forward from deep inside his own half and ran on to Forrest's return pass before beating the onrushing Mark Gillespie.
The hosts continued to make the running and had a penalty shout midway through the half when Ajer and Christopher Long went down in a tangle of legs. But the striker did not make much of the incident and referee Nick Walsh played on.
Celtic had a better spell and Boli Bolingoli volleyed just wide after Ntcham played the left-back in behind, although Motherwell were still using the ball well themselves.
Griffiths was handed the sort of opportunity he often laps up when Gallagher needlessly pulled him down as they competed for a long ball. Neither Motherwell's wall nor Gillespie protected the far corner and Griffiths drove the ball low into the net.
The hosts attempted to reply immediately and Donnelly drove the ball across face of goal but Celtic had a greater control of proceedings as the second half started.
Lewis Morgan shot high over on the break before Celtic made their possession count in the 66th minute. Forrest collected Bolingoli's cutback and worked space to shoot in off the far post.
There was a touch of controversy about the fourth in the 76th minute as Motherwell appealed for handball against Bolingoli as the left-back controlled a pass before finding Ntcham, who squared for Edouard to slot home from 18 yards.
The hosts caused their own downfall for the fifth after losing possession following a goal kick. Donnelly brought down Edouard and Christie dispatched the 86th-minute penalty high into the net.
Donnelly grabbed his sixth goal of the season when he lashed the ball high into the net from close range following a corner.

BBC

By Tom English

BBC Scotland at Fir Park

2 hours ago From the section Scottish Premiership

James Forrest's goal gave Celtic a 3-1 advantage and they never looked back
James Forrest's goal gave Celtic a 3-1 advantage and they never looked back

Celtic recovered from the loss of an early goal to thrash Motherwell and consolidate their rampant start to the Scottish Premiership season.

They had been held on their last three visits to Fir Park and had to survive a torrid start, with Scott Bain letting Liam Donnelly's shot squirm in.

But Kristoffer Ajer quickly levelled and Leigh Griffiths' free-kick nudged Celtic ahead at the break. Goals from James Forrest, Odsonne Edouard and Ryan Christie then eased the visitors clear before a late Donnelly consolation.

Motherwell, who unsettled Celtic early with their high-energy pressing game, faded though and Celtic were rampant in the second half as they took their goal tally to 12 after the first two league fixtures.

Lennon praises Bolingoli 'character'
Who did you rate man of the match?
Reaction & as it happened

'Celtic will do this to many teams this season'

After their seven-goal deconstruction of St Johnstone last week, this was supposed to be a game of a very different kind for the champions. Stephen Robinson's team, a group that had begun the season well and who would have come into this in great heart, had caused them problems in their recent visits to Fir Park.

It ended in a drubbing, but Celtic are going to inflict this kind of punishment on many teams this season. They were ruthless again. They didn't quite hit the free-flowing creative heights of last weekend, but they still managed a handful of goals. Ominous. Seriously ominous.

The weird thing is that Motherwell had the better of it early on. In the opening exchanges, they were not just excellent, they were in the lead. Donnelly, Allan Campbell and Liam Polworth were dominant in the middle of the pitch. Celtic, with Christopher Jullien making his first appearance in domestic football and Boli Bolingoli continuing at left-back, looked vulnerable until they all found their rhythm and the goals started to come in waves.
Liam Donnelly has scored six goals in five games for Motherwell
Liam Donnelly has scored six goals in five games for Motherwell

The one that put Motherwell ahead began with a crossfield ball from Polworth, which was nodded down by Declan Gallagher to Donnelly. His volley was well-hit, but Scott Bain's attempt to stop it was poor. It went in at his near post. Donnelly, an attacking force until Celtic took hold of things, took his tally to five goals in five games this season with that strike. His sixth came at the end. What an asset this converted defender will be for Robinson this season.

Motherwell had to consolidate there and then. They had to frustrate Celtic and give them few chances and few reasons to believe. Easier said than done, of course. Their resistance lasted barely two minutes when Forrest played in Kristoffer Ajer, the stand-in right-back arriving like a gazelle to plant his shot past Mark Gillespie.

Lennon's team motored on from there. Just before the break, from a free-kick 22 yards out, Gillespie left a gap to his left and practically invited Griffiths to bang it in there, which he duly did. Some Motherwell fans complained about the awarding of the free-kick in the first place, but their ire shouldn't have been solely reserved for referee Nick Walsh.

Celtic scored again just after the hour-mark when Ntcham, Lewis Morgan and Bolingoli helped to get it to Forrest, who shifted feet and then struck his shot in off the post – Celtic's 10th league goal in little over a game and a half.

Their 11th, and 12th, arrived soon after; Edouard with a class finish pinged into the corner past Gillespie. It was all a touch cruel on Motherwell and crueller still when Edouard won a deserved penalty after Donnelly took him down. Christie, who had come on for Forrest, did what every last soul in Fir Park knew he would do and executed with no fuss. Five goals to add to the seven of last week.

Donnelly smashed in a second for Motherwell, but rarely will a player feel so glum despite playing so well and scoring twice against Celtic. Lennon's team have sent out another forceful message. They won the treble again last season. They look even better this season.
Graphics
Man of the match – James Forrest

If you were dishing it out after half an hour, you'd have been tempted by Donnelly's claim, but once Celtic moved through the gears a number of Lennon's team emerged.

The central midfield took hold of things, the attack became razor sharp and even though he came off fairly early – saved for Europe next week – Forrest was pivotal. He played the key pass for the first and scored the third. Forrest won't be outdone by the other attackers in this formidable Celtic machine.
'We didn't have fitness to keep up' – reaction

Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson: "I thought we were outstanding in the first half but we didn't have the fitness to keep up with Celtic, so the new boys need to get up to speed.

"If we press teams like that in the first half, we'll win more than we lose. But if you make individual errors for four of the five goals, you're going to get punished."

Celtic manager Neil Lennon: "I'm delighted. It was an outstanding team performance with some outstanding individual performances as well.

"In the first 15 minutes, there were a few bad habits creeping in that we want to eradicate. We were inviting pressure we didn't need to. Once we solved that we were outstanding."