Celtic 2 - 1 Aberdeen

Stephen Glass made three changes to his starting XI following the defeat at Dundee United which also cost the Dons Funso Ojo for this game, suspended following his red card. Also missing were the injured Jack MacKenzie and Dean Campbell, who started from the bench. Coming back into the side were David Bates, Lewis Ferguson and Jonny Hayes. Tom Ritchie was on the bench in place of Gary Woods.

Celtic were beaten 3-2 at Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday evening to end their Europa League campaign and they made two changes to their side, Bitton and Forrest replaced by Abada and McCarthy.

The Dons won a free-kick by the left corner flag after two minutes and in the aftermath, Christian Ramirez collided, seemingly innocuously, with Hart as he challenged for a ball at the near post. The Celtic custodian required treatment for fully five minutes before continuing.

Bates had to produce a good block to deny Turnbull after Jota robbed Jack Gurr of the ball on the by-line as he tried to usher the ball out for a goal kick on the quarter hour, as Celtic began to find some rhythm.

Kyogo was then fortunate to get away with an off the ball kick on Bates. The referee awarded Aberdeen a free kick.

Jota had already looked the real danger man and he grabbed the opening goal on 20 minutes. Turnbull dinked the ball forward into the box, McGregor coming inside to get to the ball ahead of Gurr, then squaring for Jota to rifle home from 10 yards.

McGregor was booked on 25 minutes for hacking down Ryan Hedges as he was accelerating away from him some 35 yards out. From the free-kick, Aberdeen worked the ball into the box, Bates heading wide of goal from Dylan McGeouch?s ball in.

Turnbull went down for the softest of free-kicks on the edge of the box on 28 minutes, the referee inexplicably choosing to also book Ross McCrorie. Thankfully, the free-kick came to nothing.

Really good combination play up top between Marley Watkins and Christian Ramirez ended with the Welshman swiping a shot at goal from 25 yards, Hart doing well to paw the ball behind as it looked bound for the bottom corner.

From the corner kick, Abada put in a poor challenge to take Bates? legs from underneath him when he was going away from goal, resulting in a penalty kick. Ferguson stepped up and, full of confidence, he sent Hart the wrong way, and levelled things up for the Dons after 33 minutes.

It heralded a strong spell for the visitors who were now running the midfield and giving Celtic plenty to think about. The hosts had the next chance though, Turnbull given too much time to put in his cross from their right, Welsh up at the back post to head wide on 42 minutes.

HALF-TIME: CELTIC 1 ABERDEEN 1

McGeouch was grounded three minutes into the second half after getting a knock on the calf, getting treatment before being replaced by Dean Campbell.

From a 54th minute corner, Celtic weren?t far away, McGregor crashing a drive at goal from the edge of the box, Ramirez making a vital block with his chest in the six yard box to keep the Dons level pegging. Moments later, it was Joe Lewis clearing everyone out to get a great punch on a threatening cross as Celtic tried to turn up the temperature.

Luck deserted the Dons on the hour. Lewis made a terrific save at the feet of Abada, but as the ball bounced away, Hayes tried to get the ball out of arm?s way, only to see his clearance smack into McGregor and ricochet into the empty net. Abada was then replaced by Forrest.
Aberdeen?s injury situation continued to get worse, Scott Brown pulling up with what looked like a hamstring problem. He had to make way for Austin Samuels on 66 minutes and Teddy Jenks replaced Watkins at the same time.

Lewis kept his team in the game on 74 minutes, a reflex save from Ralston?s bullet header from Turnbull?s corner, Lewis getting up well to push the ball over the bar.

Good football from Aberdeen got them deep into Celtic territory on 82 minutes, players flooding forward, but Hayes took the wrong option and fired off a shot from 25 yards that went well wide. Celtic were straight up the other end, Jota cutting inside and trying to shape a shot inside the far post, Lewis doing enough to narrow the angle, ensuring his effort hit the post and bounced clear. That was Jota?s last piece of the action, being substituted by Johnston.

A mazy run from Hedges won a corner on the right on 87 minutes. Campbell?s delivery picked out Ferguson and his clever back header was looping goalwards before Juranovic extended his neck muscles to head it off the line. Moments later, Johnston was booked for time wasting as Celtic were more than happy to keep what they?d got.

They might have had a third on 90 minutes, Lewis produced another fine reflex save to deny Kyogo?s clip at the near post. Running the clock down further, Celtic replaced Kyogo with Ajeti four minutes into added time, as they stumbled over the line.

CELTIC: Hart, Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Welsh, Juranovic, McCarthy, Abada (Forrest 61), Turnbull, McGregor, Jota (Johnston 84), Kyogo (Ajeti 90+4).
Subs not used: Bain, Scales, Soro, Montgomery.