Scotland: Celtic maintain unbeaten SPL start
Livingston 0 - 3 Celtic
Four days after their disappointing loss in the Champions League in Rotterdam, Celtic were determined to reaffirm their dominance in domestic competitions.
They faced a close call early on as Bruce Anderson forced a save from Celtic's goalkeeper, Joe Hart, and Scott Pittman's subsequent shot was cleared off the goal line by Callum McGregor.
As Brendan Rodgers' team increased their attacking efforts, Daizen Hatate found himself in a promising position to score after receiving a pass from Greg Taylor. Unfortunately for Livingston, Luiyi De Lucas fouled Hatate in the box, resulting in a penalty. The Japanese midfielder's penalty squeezed under the body of Shamal George, marking his first goal of the season.
The home team needed to stay competitive, and George made an excellent save to deny another attempt by Maeda.
Hart's day came to an abrupt end when Sangare chased a long ball and collided with the goalkeeper outside the penalty area. James Forrest was substituted for reserve keeper Scott Bain.
Despite being reduced to 10 players, Celtic successfully weathered the frantic end to the first half and extended their lead early in the second. Kyogo Furuhashi delivered a cross that should have been converted by Maeda, but the ball rebounded off George, allowing O'Riley to finish.
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Bain almost gave the home team a lifeline when he was dispossessed by Joel Nouble right in front of the goal, but the towering forward's chip went over the crossbar.
George once again came to the rescue to save another attempt from Maeda, and Celtic substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu narrowly missed the target. The third goal finally arrived in added time when Maeda curled the ball into the top left corner from the edge of the box, securing his first goal of the season.
🚀 Daizen Maeda with a brilliant effort to finish the game! #LIVCEL | #cinchPrem | #COYBIG🍀
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 23, 2023
pic.twitter.com/myPjm1bGvC
For Livingston, their primary focus was on maintaining a solid defence to stay in the game. Effective decision-making in their offensive plays was crucial, but they fell short on both fronts. Without their captain, Mikey Devlin, in defence, Livingston struggled to contain Kyogo and Maeda, and their forwards had only sporadic chances to trouble either of Celtic's goalkeepers.
While Tuesday's match served as a reminder of the high standards Celtic need to reach to compete in the Champions League, their determination and resilience in West Lothian showed just how challenging it is for domestic opponents to pose a threat to the league leaders. Despite the disruption caused by Hart's red card, which was the third for Celtic in two games, Rodgers' team ultimately passed the test.
More Celtic reaction
Morning all, well a very encouraging win for Celtic yesterday. They dealt with losing Joe Hart well Maeda was perpetual motion, Scales solid again & O'Riley had another fine match. On we march! pic.twitter.com/8c9IzbhRL4
— Lisbon Lion (@tirnaog_09) September 24, 2023
Shaun, a Celtic fan from Dunfermline, said: "Winning in West Lothian hasn’t been easy for us in the past few years, even with 11 men, so to do it – and do it comfortably - with a man fewer for over an hour speaks volumes for those for the quality and character of this side.
Despite an injury crisis in the defensive end and the introduction of Champions League midweek football, the team has won five times and drawn once. This is a very good position to be in ahead of a free week when Celtic have plenty of time to recover and prepare for our next trip in seven days.
