Celtic moved above Rangers into second place thanks to a vital win against Aberdeen.
Martin O’Neill called for a fast start and he got that as Celtic took the lead in the fifth minute as Kieran Tierney reacted quickest to Liam Scales’ flick from Luke McCowan’s corner, prodding the ball home with his right foot.
Aberdeen were then handed a lifeline as the referee adjudged Scales to have clipped Toyosi Olusanya inside the box. The penalty was given and Kevin Nisbet sent Viljami Sinisalo the wrong way.
Fresh changes after the hour mark inspired Celtic’s second goal as James Forrest’s cross was turned in by top scorer Benjamin Nygren, who stayed onside by a whisker. With that, 67 Hail Hail have rated the performance of each of our Hoops.
- READ MORE: Martin O’Neill’s explanation for dropping Daizen Maeda makes perfect sense, but is also a warning
Who is your Celtic man of the match from that HUGE win against Aberdeen?
Celtic player ratings
Viljami Sinisalo – 6
Made an outstanding save early into the second half to deny Nisbet a second goal. He has to be the number one for the remainder of the season, even if Kasper Schmeichel returns to fitness.
Julian Araujo – 6
Never stops running and once again played his part in a potentially season-defining moment.
Benjamin Arthur – 7
Played really well after being called up for his first start very late on. Had one wobble but aside from that, was dominant in the air and was comfortable with the ball at his feet.
Liam Scales – 6
A soft penalty but did he really need to make that challenge inside the box? Also missed a great chance from a corner after the break but regained his composure after that and was much better.
Kieran Tierney – 7
Turning into a bagsman of late after scoring his fifth goal of the season. Defended really well too and is looking like a real threat at this moment in time.
Callum McGregor (C) – 6
Not his best game but was put his body on the line until the very end.
Reo Hatate – 6
Looked like he had reverted to the Reo Hatate we have seen for most of the season but then he plucked out a beautiful pass for Araujo in the build-up to the second goal and that seemed to breathe more life into him.
Luke McCowan – 5
His corner played a part in Celtic’s opener but his set piece delivery was disappointing for the rest of the evening. McCowan had some moments on the ball, but wasn’t inspiring.
Hyunjun Yang – 5
His 100th appearance in green and white wasn’t a memorable one by his standards. Yang needs to improve in the goals and assists department as running down the wing only gets so much credit in the bank.
Sebastian Tounekti – 5
The stats show that Tounekti is better when used as an impact substitute. This performance proved that.
Tomas Cvancara – 4
Another forgettable performance from Cvancara up top. Was brought in to score goals but we’re yet to really see anything in that sense. He hasn’t done enough to secure a permanent contract yet.
Substitutes
Benjamin Nygren – 8
Who else but Nygren? He always finds himself in the right place at the right time and timed his run to perfection so that he could flick the ball past the Aberdeen ‘keeper to restore the Hoops’ lead. No wonder he is outperforming his xG.
Celtic are better when Benjamin Nygren plays 🤨
Should Martin O'Neill be focusing the team around him so that he scores even more goals?
Daizen Maeda – 5
Aimlessly put a shot wide and then slipped over when on the counter-attack. That sums up his season.
Marcelo Saracchi – 6
Got forward plenty of times to join the attack as Celtic began to restore their grip on the game once fresh legs were introduced.
James Forrest – 7
He may be getting on, but Forrest is still as effective as ever from the bench. Found the space out wide and found Nygren with a brilliant low ball into the box.
Colby Donovan – 6
Brought on to see out the game and give Araujo a bit of extra rest before the Rangers game.
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