European Super Football

 Hearts 0 - 2 Celtic Celtic clinched their second successive Scottish Premiership title under Ange Postecoglou as they beat 10-player Hearts 2-0. Despite running away with the title, Celtic didn't have it their own way before they were crowned champions. Joe Hart was made to work inside two minutes from a Lawrence Shankland header, although the assistant referee did flag for offside. It was eventually Kyogo got the title party underway when he knocked the ball in from Reo Hatate's cross after half-time. The Japanese striker was then forced off to be replaced by Hyeon-Gyu Oh who made sure of the victory when he fired in from Aaron Mooy's cross. This win confirmed Celtic's 10th title in 11 seasons, and they can secure a domestic treble if they beat Inverness in the Scottish Cup final on June 3 at Hampden Park. Scotland: Celtic move closer to another Treble (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) More history beckons for Celtic. Celtic can now focus on going for a record poin...

Celtic 3 - 1 RB Leipzig Nicolas Kuhn delivered an outstanding performance, inspiring Celtic to come from behind and secure a thrilling third consecutive Champions League home victory at the lively Celtic Park against Germany's RB Leipzig. Author - Sean M > After a dominant six-goal League Cup win over Aberdeen on Saturday and a tough draw away to Atalanta in the previous matchday, expectations were high for this game, despite Leipzig being the top seeds. Celtic very much delivered in what was probably their best performance in a European match for several years.  How the action unfolded - an unbiased reflection of a wonderful night for Celtic fans We burst onto the pitch with real intent, pressing high and applying pressure from the start. In the opening minute, Reo Hatate’s sharp pass to Daizen Maeda set the tone, and Arne Engels' shot—blocked by the Leipzig defence—signalled Celtic’s ambitions. RB Leipzig, struggling to match Celtic’s pace, nearly saw Kuhn break the dea...

Celtic 3 - 3 Aberdeen Celtic won 6-5 on penalties Celtic clinched victory on penalties in a thrilling match at Hampden Park, securing their spot in the Scottish Cup final and leaving Aberdeen fans devastated. The game was a nail-biting affair, with both teams showcasing their skill in a tense shootout. Joe Hart, Celtic's goalkeeper, had the opportunity to seal the win with his team's fifth penalty, but his shot hit the post, keeping the game on a knife-edge. Yet, Hart redeemed himself by saving Killian Phillips' penalty, securing Celtic's victory. Now, Celtic awaits the outcome of the match between Hearts and Rangers next month, as they aim to claim the prestigious Scottish Cup for a record-breaking 42nd time. The match itself was nothing short of extraordinary, with Aberdeen delivering two late equalisers to keep the contest alive. Angus MacDonald's header in the 119th minute seemed to complete a remarkable comeback after his earlier mistake had led to Celtic...

 Celtic 1 - 0 Rangers Celtic won the double and Rangers ended the season with nohing. Adam Idah emerged as  Celtic's  last-minute hero  under the bright Hampden sun. 🏆⬆️ Relive all the action as Adam Idah's late winner sparked incredible scenes in the @CelticFC end, with the Hoops lifting the @scottishgas Men's Scottish Cup at Hampden Park. This is your Story of the Final. #ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/JV0jpjtaFX — Scottish Gas Scottish Cup (@ScottishCup) May 27, 2024 With the Scottish  Cup's  fate hanging in the balance and the game deadlocked at 0-0, extra-time seemed inevitable. However, Paulo Bernardo, a substitute for Reo Hatate, took control.  As the  Rangers  defence hesitated, Bernardo unleashed a stunning 25-yard strike that baffled goalkeeper Jack Butland with its swerving path. Seizing the opportunity, Republic of Ireland forward Adam Idah sprinted at full speed to reach the deflected ball before Butland could recover. The ...

Dundee 1 - 2 Celtic A double from James Forrest helped Celtic beat Dundee and maintained their three-point Scottish Premiership lead. A screen grab from a Twitter video showing Celtic players celebrating. Forrest marked his return to the Celtic starting line-up with a stunning first-half volley from the edge of the box and low drive midway through the second period. Dundee got back into the game after Adam Idah deflected an Antonio Portales shot past Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart. Despite some late pressure, they were unable to deny the visitors victory. Despite another win for Rangers, the title is still Celtic's to lose with four rounds of fixtures to play and the Old Firm still to meet.  Dundee remain two points behind fifth-placed St Mirren and remain in contention for a Europa Conference qualifying place. Should they achieve that, it would surely be the best season in their recent history.  You can find out what the Celtic manager thought by watching the video below. Th...

Celtic 2 - 0 Hibernian Daizen Maeda's 27th goal of the season and a stoppage-time strike from Adam Idah kept Celtic's treble dream alive as they edged past Hibernian in a hard-fought Scottish Cup quarter-final. Author - Sean M Stadium - Celtic Park Hibs, without a Scottish Cup win at Celtic Park since 1902, once again left empty-handed after Maeda struck just before half-time to extend the visitors’ misery. The Japan international’s ruthless finish – his 13th goal in as many games – came after Jordan Smith had produced a fine save to deny Nicolas Kuhn, only for Maeda to pounce and rifle the rebound high into the net. It was a moment of redemption for the forward, who had earlier squandered a glorious chance, blazing over the bar when it seemed easier to score. Smith, who recently signed a new deal with Hibs, kept his side in contention with two excellent first-half saves – first tipping away Callum McGregor’s low drive and then reacting sharply to deny Reo Hatate from close...

 Celtic 5 - 0 Raith Rovers Daizen Maeda hit a landmark 50 goals for Celtic as his stunning hat-trick fired the holders into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals with a dominant 5-0 victory over Raith Rovers. Author - Sean M Stadium - Celtic Park Brendan Rodgers made sweeping changes, bringing in nine fresh faces to the starting XI, but it was business as usual at Celtic Park as the Hoops extended their formidable unbeaten home run to 32 matches—just one shy of the record set by Gordon Strachan’s 2007 side. Second-half strikes from Luke McCowan and Yang Hyun-Jun put Celtic firmly in control before Maeda rounded off his treble, latching onto a superb assist from McCowan. The Japanese forward, who had already bagged a brace before half-time to shatter Raith’s resistance, now boasts 21 goals for the season—proving himself an able replacement for the departed Kyogo Furuhashi, with six goals in his last three outings. More news from the Scottish Cup Celtic’s strength in depth on display I...

Celtic 3 - 0 Hearts Daizen Maeda struck twice in Celtic's commanding Scottish Premiership victory over Heart of Midlothian, bringing his season tally to an impressive thirty goals.  Author - Sean M Stadium - Celtic Park The Celtic boss had hinted before the match that both he and the club were eager to extend the Japan international's contract, which currently runs until the summer of 2027.  This latest performance served as yet another reminder of why that would be a wise move. Maeda has now scored in eight consecutive league games and shows no sign of slowing down. The forward was at the heart of all three goals and appears almost unstoppable in Scotland at present. A closer look at what happened at Celtic Park Hearts had arrived to this match with some confidence, having lost just twice in their previous fourteen matches. They were aiming to take another step towards securing a top-six place. All eyes were on Viljami Sinisalo, who stepped in for the injured Kasper Schme...

Celtic 5 - 1 Kilmarnock Celtic moved to the brink of yet another Scottish Premiership title after a blistering first-half performance against Kilmarnock.  Author - Sean M Stadium - Celtic Park The Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers demanded a response following the loss to the division's bottom side. Within 24 minutes of this match against Kilmarnock kicking off, Celtic were four ahead thanks to a stunning array of goals, with Daizen Maeda, Cameron Carter-Vickers and two Reo Hatate.  Danny Armstrong's cross sailed home for some brief respite for Derek McInnes' men. However, the champions-elect utterly dominated the first half of this match. They would have been happy to be only trailing 4-1 at half-time. Not a good place to be in. They then eased up slightly but the icing on the cake arrived in injury time as substitute Anthony Ralston danced into the box and found the far corner. A closer look at what happened and why it happened It had been reported in some outlets that the ...

It's time to explore another football icon. Henrik Larsson is a Swedish professional football coach and former player, formerly an assistant manager of Barcelona.  Larsson celebrating a goal for Celtic in 2005. The start of a wonderful career. Playing as a striker, Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. In 1992, he moved to Helsingborg IF where in his first season his partnership up front with Mats Magnusson helped the club win promotion  after over 20 seasons in the lower tiers.  He moved to Feyenoord in November 1993, staying for four years before leaving in 1997. During his time in the Dutch Eredivisie, he won two KNVB Cups with Feyenoord. Trevor Stolk told us: "He should have stayed with us for much longer. Look at what he did for Celtic. He could have achieved that with us if he'd stayed longer." Larsson also broke into the Swedish national football team and helped them finish in third place at the 1994 World Cup. He was gaining a lot of fans but whe...

Atalanta 0 - 0 Celtic Celtic secured a valuable Champions League point with a resilient defensive performance, holding last season’s Europa League winners Atalanta to a goalless draw in Bergamo. Author - Peter Grainger from GMCR Football This result marked a notable shift in fortunes for Celtic, who had previously lost all seven of their matches in Italy in this competition. Despite facing relentless pressure from the hosts, the Scottish champions stood firm, taking a crucial step towards progressing to the knockout stages. Kasper Schmeichel played a pivotal role with several impressive saves, while Atalanta squandered several clear chances. Celtic’s defensive discipline proved key in denying the Serie A side, who grew increasingly frustrated as the match developed.  After two challenging away fixtures, Celtic now have the advantage of back-to-back home games against RB Leipzig and Club Brugge, with four points already secured.  Celtic’s Champions League campaign has been ...

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 4 - 0 Kilmarnock Celtic kicked off their Premiership title defence with a comfortable 4-0 victory at home against Kilmarnock. Reo Hatate opened the scoring after 17 minutes, coolly finishing from the edge of the box. Celtic doubled their advantage five minutes before half-time when Liam Scales headed a Matt O’Riley corner into the far post. Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn made it three on the hour mark with a deflected strike that looped over Kilmarnock’s goalkeeper, Robby McCrorie. Anthony Ralston sealed the win in stoppage time, netting his first goal for Celtic since 2021. Click here for more Celtic news and stories A closer look at the match Before the match, they were greeted to an impressive fan display when they took to the Parkhead turf. This created an amazing atmosphere and the Celtic players responded.  Reo Hatate put the champions ahead in the 17th minute, firing into the bottom corner from just inside the box. Earlier, Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi was denied by a bri...

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...

 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. ...

Celtic and Rangers have played each other over 400 times in major competitions: Rangers have won 166 matches, Celtic have gained 159 wins.  Let's have a look at some memorable moments involving the iconic clubs.  The original version of this article was posted here  Memorable matches and moments involving Celtic and Rangers (differentballs.blogspot.com) The first encounter The first game between Celtic and Rangers was a friendly in 1888. It´s thought that around 2,000 people were in attendance. It is believed that this could have been greater but for the International Exhibition taking place the same day through in the West End. 1967 Scottish League Cup final This may seem like an odd place to start but it was the first trophy in Celtic's best-ever season that finished with being the first British side to win the European Cup. Their first trophy of 66/67 came after a 1-0 win over their nearest rivals at Hampden Park.  Rangers 3 - 2 Celtic. 2002 Scottish Cup final...

 Celtic 3 - 0 Hearts Celtic moved a little bit closer to the title after easing past Hearts in Glasgow.  They face Rangers next weekend in a match that could decide the title. If Celtic avoid defeat, they will almost certainly end up as champions.  Kyogo Furuhashi scored the opening goal for Celtic in a fast-paced match at Celtic Park. He nodded the ball in from a cross by his fellow countryman Reo Hatate.  The Hearts team responded quickly, but Celtic extended their lead when Matt O'Riley's impressive long-range pass found Kyogo, who scored with a first-time shot and got his second of the match.  Kyogo then  had chances to score more goals in the first half, but Zander Clark, the Hearts goalkeeper, made some excellent saves. He also made a fantastic double save in the second half to deny Hatate and O'Riley. Celtic were awarded a late penalty after an on-field review showed that Lawrence Shankland had handled the ball in the box. O'Riley stepped up to t...

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 5 - 1 Aberdeen Celtic took another decisive step towards retaining their title with a dominant victory over Aberdeen in Glasgow. Author - Sean M Stadium - Celtic Park Pre match atmosphere at Celtic Park 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 Satu...