Celtic back to winning ways
Celtic 5 - 1 Aberdeen
Celtic took another decisive step towards retaining their title with a dominant victory over Aberdeen in Glasgow.
Brendan Rodgers' side were minutes away from setting a new record of 10 consecutive home league wins without conceding when Shayden Morris grabbed a late consolation for the visitors.
It was little more than a flicker of hope on an otherwise bleak evening for Aberdeen, who failed to capitalise on a promising start. Oday Dabbagh squandered a close-range chance, and Kevin Nisbet dragged a shot wide after Kasper Schmeichel’s misplaced pass.
Celtic, by contrast, were ruthless. First-half goals from Daizen Maeda, Jota and Callum McGregor effectively settled the contest before the break.
Maeda opened the scoring in opportunistic fashion, pouncing on a deflected Arne Engels shot and outpacing Mats Knoester before volleying home—echoing his instinctive finish at Hibernian on Saturday.
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Celtic’s second was a counter-attacking masterclass. Nicolas Kuhn picked out Jota with a superb pass from deep inside his own half, the winger switching play to Engels on the right before darting into the area to receive the return ball and lift it into the net.
Jeppe Okkels squandered another promising opening for Aberdeen, firing straight at Alistair Johnston, before McGregor’s clinical side-footed finish added to the visitors' misery.
Chances were scarce after the break. Maeda threatened again, latching onto a Reo Hatate cross, while Morris wasted an opportunity for Aberdeen after robbing Auston Trusty but failing to apply the finish. Toppi Keskinen also hesitated when through on goal, running into trouble instead of shooting.
Celtic, typically, punished their wastefulness. Luke McCowan slid in Yang Hyun-jun, who stabbed home from close range. Aberdeen, by then, were a beaten side.
Their last act of resistance came through Morris, who muscled past Liam Scales before squeezing a shot through Schmeichel from a tight angle. The Celtic keeper slammed a post in frustration—his clean sheet gone, the record snatched away.
But Rodgers’ men still had the final word. Deep into stoppage time, Maeda turned in a superb Johnston cross to restore Celtic’s four-goal cushion.
Aberdeen remain in a tense battle for UEFA Conference League qualification. For Celtic, their march towards the title continues at pace and they recovered well from that rare defeat over Hibs.
Aberdeen players applaud their fansBest reaction
Frank, a huge Celtic fan, told us: "Another great win, even if the performance wasn't always great. However, we are full of goals and Daizen Maeda is flying domestically. We've been better yet win 5 1. Can't be unhappy with that. We move closer to another title."
Jimmy, an Aberdeen fan, wasn't happy with the result but could see some positives in the overall performance. He added: "Another poor performance but there was some good play from us at times. With that counter-attacking style, you can see Celtic have learned a lot from the extra European matches. This is why it's so important that we qualify for continental football next season."
