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Showing posts with the label Sean M

Nicolas Kuhn stars as Celtic extend lead at the top

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Celtic 3 - 0 St Mirren Nicolas Kuhn added two more to his impressive tally goal this season, inspiring Celtic to a comfortable win over St Mirren and extending their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 13 points. Author - Sean M Kuhn struck on either side of half-time to bring his season total to 16 goals, with Auston Trusty heading home in between to secure a dominant victory for Brendan Rodgers’ side. After suffering their first league defeat of the season against Rangers on Thursday, Celtic bounced back strongly, capitalising on their rivals’ latest slip-up at Easter Road to tighten their grip on the title race. Celtic break St Mirren’s resilience St Mirren made life difficult in the early stages, pressing well and limiting Celtic’s chances. However, the deadlock was broken in style. Luke McCowan’s superb pass set Daizen Maeda free down the left wing, and the Japanese winger’s pinpoint cross found Kuhn, who delivered a typically clinical finish. That goal deflated t...

Rangers cut Celtic's lead after Glasgow Derby win

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Rangers 3 - 0 Celtic Rangers cut Celtic’s lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 11 points in sensational fashion, as Philippe Clement finally secured his first derby victory at the seventh attempt. Author - Sean M Ianis Hagi’s early goal, followed by strikes from Robin Propper and Danilo in the second half, sealed the win as the hosts dominated a fervent Ibrox crowd. The victory ended a long and frustrating run of poor results for Rangers against Brendan Rodgers' Celtic , who had only lost once in 20 derby clashes before this encounter. However, the occasion was slightly marred when Celtic’s Arne Engels appeared to be struck by a coin thrown from the stands. Fortunately, his manager later confirmed the player was unharmed. More reaction coming up. A bad day for Celtic. https://t.co/Mu4Cn3x6Z9 https://t.co/3FCnK8E1Sv — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) January 2, 2025 A closer look at what happened Rangers had come into the match under mounting pressure, h...

Celtic ease to win over bottom side in Scotland

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Celtic 4 - 0 St Johnstone Nicolas Kuhn opened the scoring in the first half, while Kyogo Furuhashi netted a double in the second half, with Daizen Maeda adding a fourth goal.  Author - Sean M A closer look at what happened at Celtic Park It was a largely one-sided affair, with Simo Valakari’s side putting up some resistance early on. Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo, and Arne Engels all came close to breaking the deadlock. The opener came from a familiar source. Nicolas Kuhn, receiving the ball from Reo Hatate, cut inside and slotted it home with ease, leaving the goalkeeper no chance. The German forward’s knack for producing key moments in front of goal has been exceptional this season. Moments later, Kuhn nearly struck again, forcing a superb save from Josh Rae as his curling effort seemed destined for the far top corner. Celtic Football Club news and stories St Johnstone made a few changes at half-time and briefly showed signs of improvement, but they couldn’t turn the tide. Pi...

Celtic extend lead at top of the table

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Celtic 4 - 0 Motherwell Celtic maintained their composure despite a shaky start to secure a commanding 4-0 victory over Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership. Author - Sean M Following a frustrating draw at Dundee United on Sunday, the league leaders took time to find their rhythm. The breakthrough came just before the half-time whistle when a collision between Aston Oxborough and Hyunjun Yang earned Celtic a penalty. Arne Engels coolly converted, slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner as the Motherwell goalkeeper dived the wrong way. Celtic had the better chances in the first half, with Daizen Maeda’s effort blocked by Oxborough. The Motherwell keeper also had a nervy moment when he nearly turned the ball into his own net, but managed to clear it with the help of his defence. Early in the second half, Celtic survived a scare when Tony Watt inadvertently blocked Tawanda Maswanhise’s shot on Kasper Schmeichel ’s goalline, deflecting it behind. The hosts doubled their lead so...

Celtic and Rangers play out classic cup final

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Celtic 3 - 3 Rangers Celtic won 5-4 on penalties The current Scottish champions were pushed to their absolute limits but ultimately prevailed in a dramatic Scottish League Cup final against Rangers, decided by a tense penalty shootout. Author - Sean M After both sides converted their first three penalties, Rangers defender Ridvan Yilmaz saw his low effort saved by Kasper Schmeichel. Although goalkeeper Jack Butland briefly kept Rangers' hopes alive by scoring their next spot-kick, Daizen Maeda calmly slotted home to secure the trophy for Celtic. The victory came after an epic 3-3 draw following extra time, extending Brendan Rodgers' remarkable record of never losing at Hampden Park. Meanwhile, Rangers manager Philippe Clement is still searching for his first derby win. This triumph also propels Celtic ahead of their old rivals in total silverware won — a milestone not achieved since the 1930s. But those are just the headlines of what was a truly incredible cup final. Whil...

Celtic extend lead at the top of the table

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Celtic 3 - 0 Hibernian Brendan Rodgers commended Celtic's attacking display as they capitalised on a wasteful Hibernian to extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to nine points.  Author - Sean M Celtic secured their seventh consecutive league win with Arne Engels' first-half tap-in, an own goal from Joe Newell, and a sublime finish from Kyogo after the interval. Hibs, though, had their chances, particularly in the first half, where they exposed Celtic's high defensive line. Mykola Kuharevich was twice denied in one-on-one situations by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, while Joe Newell squandered a golden opportunity, firing over the bar unmarked inside the box. At the other end, Celtic proved clinical. Engels converted Alistair Johnston's cross, and Adam Idah's flick-on was inadvertently turned into his own net by Newell. Celtic Football Club news and stories Can anyone stop Celtic in Scotland? Hibs' inability to take their chances persisted i...

Can anyone stop Celtic in Scotland?

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 It’s a question every top-flight manager, and some beyond, must be wrestling with.  And if the answer seems elusive, a bigger question arises that is, how do you stop them? Author - Sean M As they pursue a fourth consecutive league title, Brendan Rodgers' side have already thumped three past Rangers, triumphed at second-placed Aberdeen, and hammered the same opponents 6-0 in the League Cup semi-final. Their domestic dominance isn’t just impressive – it’s overwhelming. Out of a possible 42 Premiership points, Celtic have amassed 40. They boast a seven-point lead at the top of the table, which could stretch to ten with a win in their game in hand. They remain unbeaten away from home in the league, and across all competitions, they’ve netted a staggering 65 goals in 22 games.  Celtic fans have been loving this season so far. The video below shows fans response to that extraordinary win over Aberdeen in the League Cup. Rodgers has done this before. In his first sea...

Celtic thrash Ross County

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Celtic 6 - 0 Ross County Luke McCowan was the star of the show for Celtic after he scored one and assisted three as five-goal Celtic stormed to a five-point lead at the Scottish Premiership summit by thrashing Ross County. Author - Sean M > Brendan Rodgers made six changes to the team that drew with Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday, showcasing the impressive depth of his squad. Every player brought in made a noticeable impact. The standout performer was McCowan, who delivered the corner that allowed Liam Scales to head in powerfully at the near post. McCowan, making his first start in a month, then added a second with a deflected effort on the turn. Celtic Football Club news and stories He continued to shine, setting up captain Callum McGregor for a stunning 20-yard strike – McGregor's sixth league goal of the season – just moments after Paulo Bernardo tapped in Celtic’s third from close range. The first-half scoring feast was rounded off by Adam Idah, who...

Scotland end winless run

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Scotland 1 - 0 Croatia Scotland finally broke their long winless streak in the Nations League with a hard-fought victory over 10-man Croatia, thanks to a late goal from substitute John McGinn. Author - Sean M McGinn capitalised on a loose ball after Dominik Kotarski parried Ben Doak's shot, slotting home his 19th international goal and sending Hampden Park into rapturous celebration. The win keeps Scotland's hopes alive of staying in Nations League A, with a potential relegation play-off secured if they manage another victory against Poland on Monday. A win in Warsaw could even open the door to the Nations League quarter-finals and a top-seed spot for the World Cup qualifying draw – provided Croatia lose at home to Portugal and there's a three-goal swing in Scotland's favour. However, those calculations can wait. The immediate focus was ending a dismal run of 10 competitive matches without a win, a form slump that had seen them victorious just once in their last 16 ...

FA Cup: Notts come from behind to avoid upset

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Notts County 5 - 1 Alfreton Town Notts County staged a comeback to avoid an FA Cup upset, ultimately securing a 5-1 win over Alfreton. Author - Sean M Despite an early setback when Liam Waldock put the visitors ahead at Meadow Lane, Alassana Jatta and Jevani Brown both scored twice in the second half to push County through to the second round. Jake Day had a chance to put National League North side Alfreton in front, but his volley was comfortably held by Alex Bass. However, the breakthrough came in the 14th minute when Day’s shot deflected into Waldock’s path, allowing him to slot it home. County responded almost immediately, levelling the score just two minutes later with Matty Platt’s long-range strike nestling in the bottom corner. The League Two side took control early in the second half when Brown crossed for Jatta, who found the back of the net. The pair linked up again in the 62nd minute, with Jatta sliding the ball under George Willis to claim his second goal. Brown added...

Premier League: Southampton remain winless

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Manchester City 1 - 0 Southampton Manchester City reclaimed their spot at the top of the Premier League table after an early goal from Erling Haaland secured a narrow victory over struggling Southampton. Author - Sean M Haaland muscled past Jan Bednarek to connect with Matheus Nunes' cross just five minutes in, slipping the ball past Saints’ goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale for his 11th league goal of the season. At that moment, it seemed as though the visitors were in for a tough afternoon. However, a combination of resilient defending from Southampton and some wasteful finishing by City—Haaland being a notable offender—left the home fans feeling a bit uneasy until the final whistle. This win extended City’s unbeaten run in the Premier League to 32 matches. They are now only six weeks away from going a full year without a league defeat, their last loss coming against Aston Villa on 6 December. While Southampton deserve credit for their determined display , the result did little to ea...

Championship: Cardiff continue revival

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Cardiff City 2 - 0 Portsmouth Cardiff City continued their revival under interim boss Omer Riza, cruising past Portsmouth with another impressive attacking display to secure their second home victory in just four days. Author - Sean M Fresh off their 5-0 thrashing of Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, the Bluebirds hit the ground running once more. They found themselves 2-0 up within 13 minutes, thanks to an own goal from Regan Poole and Callum Robinson’s close-range strike. A closer look at what happened Despite squandering several opportunities to extend their lead either side of half-time, Cardiff kept Portsmouth’s substitute goalkeeper Jordan Archer busy, with David Turnbull and Anwar El Ghazi testing him throughout the match. Although Portsmouth showed signs of life in the second half, they struggled to break down Cardiff’s defence, with their rare attempts on goal thwarted by captain Jak Alnwick in the Bluebirds' goal. The win sees Cardiff move out of the Championship relegatio...

Premier League: Stones scores controversial winner

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Wolves 1 - 2 Manchester City The Premier League champions secured their sixth win in eight games this season with a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday. Author - Sean M The match ended in controversy when John Stones scored a dramatic header in the 95th minute from Phil Foden’s corner. Initially, the goal was disallowed for offside, but after a VAR review, referee Chris Kavanagh reversed the decision, allowing the goal to stand, much to Wolves' frustration. Earlier in the match, Josko Gvardiol equalised for the hosts after Jorgen Strand Larsen had given Wolves the lead. Unfortunately for Wolves, they remain winless this season and currently sit at the bottom of the Premier League table. What happened then? In the final seconds of stoppage time, Foden delivered a corner kick that Stones headed powerfully into the net.  However, as the Manchester City players celebrated, the linesman raised his flag to signal an offside, noting that Bernardo Silva was standing in fro...

Championship: Cardiff thrash Plymouth

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Cardiff City 5 - 0 Plymouth Argyle Cardiff City climbed off the bottom of the Championship table in stunning fashion with a dominant win over 10-man Plymouth Argyle, securing only their second league victory of the season. Author - Sean M In what was undoubtedly their finest display of the campaign so far, the Bluebirds surged to an early 2-0 lead. Alex Robertson opened the scoring with a sublime 20-yard curling strike, followed by a similarly classy finish from Rubin Colwill. Plymouth's troubles worsened just before half-time when Ibrahim Cissoko was sent off for pushing Perry Ng to the ground. Colwill, who had assisted Robertson’s opener, continued to shine in the second half. His low cross was tapped in by Anwar El Ghazi, before Callum Robinson added a fourth with an impressive solo run and finish. Chris Willock made it five with a bouncing shot from the edge of the box, as Cardiff more than doubled their season’s goal tally in one game, having scored just four in their prev...

Nations League: Scotland hold Portugal

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Scotland 0 - 0 Portugal Author - Sean M Scotland put on a determined defensive performance to hold Portugal to a 0-0 draw, earning their first point in the Nations League A campaign. Scott McTominay had a golden opportunity early on but missed, and from there, the Scots saw little of the ball as Portugal pressed hard for a breakthrough. Cristiano Ronaldo, making his 200th international appearance, was left frustrated in his pursuit of a 134th goal for Portugal, as Scotland’s goalkeeper Craig Gordon and his defence stood their ground. While the result means Steve Clarke’s team have now won just one of their last 16 matches, they avoided the unwanted record of becoming the first Scotland side to lose five consecutive games. A more detailed look at what happened in Glasgow After a tough time at the Euros and a difficult Nations League campaign so far , Scotland needed to lift the Hampden crowd, and they nearly did just that within the first four minutes. Ben Doak made a surging run do...