Inconsistency has been the story of Celtic’s season and if it wasn’t for their second-half performances, they would be well behind in the title race.
Celtic are third in the Scottish Premiership table and in real danger of allowing one of Hearts or Rangers to steal their crown.
We’re yet to see a 90-minute performance from the Hoops, and it seems that they are saving their best for the second-half.
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How Celtic’s first-half performances compare to the second-half
As we could see in the 2-2 draw against Rangers, Celtic start games far too slowly.
They were 2-0 down before the half hour mark at the weekend and have only managed to score 21 times in the first 45 minutes.
Things changed and they came back to draw, which is a running trend throughout the entirety of the 2025/26 campaign.
After the break they have managed to score 30 goals this season, with a large portion of those coming after the 75th minute. Julian Araujo’s winner against Kilmarnock proved that point.
However, while they may be better from an attacking perspective in the second-half, chasing the game and having to find goals has left them more vulnerable at the back.
60 per cent of the 30 league goals (18) conceded have come after the break, with around nine of those in the final 15 minutes.
While performances on a whole are a lot better, there are still tweaks that can be made.
Where would Celtic be in the league table based off second-half performances?
Football is a game of two halves and nothing encapsulates that more than where Celtic would be in the league table based off the two 45 minute halves.
If the SPFL table was based off the first-half alone, the Bhoys would be languishing in fifth place. After losing a Champions League spot, finishing fifth would mean no European football at all.
What can Celtic do to improve their first-half performances?
But, if based on the second-half, Celtic would be top of the league. It goes to show that if the Bhoys can match the intensity they show later in games, the season would be a lot less stressful than what it is now.
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