Celtic restored a nine points advantage over our nearest challengers this afternoon after a richly deserved 1-0 win over a doggedly defensive Aberdeen side that took parking the bus to an entirely new level.
Jim Goodwin adopted similar tactics to his St Mirren side’s win at Celtic Park in the Covid bounce-match season and maybe was beginning to think he was going to steal a point today before a crafty wee flick from Jamesy Forrest gave his skipper Callum McGregor the opportunity to fire across the Aberdeen goal and into the bottom corner to break the deadlock.
That incidentally was the 200th goal scored by Celtic under Ange Postecolgou with 100 being at Celtic Park and 100 on the road. And it was also the 100th assist for Jamesy Forrest who has now achieved a century of both goals and assists for the club in what has been a remarkable career for this hugely under-rated Celtic legend.
🍀 "𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲"
Another milestone for Celtic under Ange Postecoglou 👏 pic.twitter.com/Qu0owOMw6D
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 17, 2022
Celtic had 81% of possession and made more passes but it was beginning to look like one of those days with plentiful of Ibrox eyes on this game praying that the other team couldn’t find the breakthrough. If you were unfortunate enough to be an Aberdeen supporter you’d have every right to feel short-changed by Goodwin’s tactics on home soil.
It took around a quarter of an hour of sustained Celtic pressure before Jota made the keeper work. Then Hatate’s effort on 20 minutes was stopped by Roos who then knocked away the loose ball with his foot with Maeda eyeing a tap-in.
Celtic enjoyed total control of the ball but failed to penetrate the deep lying Aberdeen defence of eight players camped in and around their own box.
Ange Postecoglou had seen enough at the interval replacing Maeda with Liel Abada and the Israeli certainly made an instant impact. Ralston and Abada enjoy a great understanding and the full-back put through a sensational ball to the Celtic substitute on 52 minutes, his cut back was superb but with the goal at his mercy Kyogo failed to connect properly and the chance was missed. It was an absolute sitter that is now irrelevant given the eventual outcome of the match.
Then O’Riley sent Abada through but his shot hit the Aberdeen legs. The Celtic pressure was relentless, Hatate then Jota tried to break the deadlock from the edge of the area but both were like so many others today, off-target.
Abada continued to impress on the right wing and put in a wonderful cross that three teammates all failed to tap home. The ball was collected by Greg Taylor at the other side of the box and his cross was missed by the trio too! Next O’Riley’s curled effort was comfortably saved, Ralston and Taylor then blasted efforts over the bar as things started to look desperate. Then Ralston got to the byeline and crossed for Kyogo but with the ball slightly behind him he could only steer the shot inches wide.
KYOGO AGAIN SO CLOSE 😰
A much tougher chance this time as the cross is behind him ❌ pic.twitter.com/avxWVj6cwa
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 17, 2022
With 72 minutes Ange Postcoglou looked to his bench, bringing on Turnbull, Giakoumakis and James Forrest with Kyogo, Hatate and Jota going off. Former Celt Jonny Hayes came on for the home side and probably did more in an attacking sense than all of his teammates combined over the 94 minutes.
All three subs had efforts on goal but it was the same old, frustrating story for the 1800 Celtic fans – including Lubo98 of this parish – and the hundreds of thousands watching on Sky or Celtic TV.
Then with 86 minutes played Celtic got the breakthrough, Forrest slipped a wee pass around the corner at the left hand side and The Celtic captain’s brilliant strike went across the Aberdeen keeper to find the far side bottom corner. It was Celtic’s 33rd effort on goal and and at last one found the back of the net.
Aberdeen tried to do something offensively after that but it was half-hearted and Joe Hart needed the match without having a save to make. The match ended with a brilliant run from James Forrest down the touchline from the half-way line to win Celtic a corner. And that killed off any hopes of a shock Aberdeen equaliser as the referee’s whistle sounded.
Kyogo let the post match dancing in-front of the trailing support but the captain was just behind him as was the manager who certainly enjoyed his own version of Last Christmas.
Next up in this Scottish Premiership title race is a trip to Aberdeen by theRangers on Tuesday night before Celtic play Livingston on Wednesday at Celtic Park. But for now, thanks to Man of the Match Callum McGregor it’s advantage Celtic with the nine points lead at the top of the league looking down on theRangers restored and of course on top of that Celtic have a massive goal difference advantage.
Here’s the winning goal from Callum McGregor…
BACK WITH A BANG 💥
Callum McGregor rifles home and Celtic take the lead 🟢⚪ pic.twitter.com/ch0itdkSvD
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 17, 2022
It finished Aberdeen 0 Celtic 1….
FULL TIME: 🟥 Aberdeen 0-1 Celtic 🟩 pic.twitter.com/NbHYdYP4o9
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 17, 2022
Reaction from Callum McGregor…
"Probably couldn't have dreamt of a better scenario" 👌
Callum McGregor scored the winner and made more passes than any other player in the Scottish Premiership this season ⚡ pic.twitter.com/nP3K8LglZO
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 17, 2022
Ange Postecoglou…
"He dictated the play in the middle of the park" 👏
Ange Postecoglou emphasises how important Callum McGregor is to this Celtic team 🟢 pic.twitter.com/BnSiszf4Nw
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 17, 2022
And Jim Goodwin…hopefully he’s looking a little happier on Tuesday night!
"Well extreme disappointment in the end…To concede a goal so late on having contained Celtic" 😒
Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin is frustrated after defending so well and conceding so late ⏰ pic.twitter.com/WdhCC5MBBc
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 17, 2022
