2017-05-12: Aberdeen 1-3 Celtic, SP

Trivia

• First v Second in the league, but league already over.
• Friday night game.
• Celtic reach 100pts in the league. Magnificent total.
• Both were league cup finalists, Celtic won. Both again to face each other in Scottish Cup final soon.
• Four goals in around first 12mins. Celtic score three in first ten minutes. Boyata scores another goal from a corner.
• No Scott Brown, suspended.
• Last match for commentator Derek Rae (an Aberdeen fan), been a popular commentator and is moving back to the US with family. We wish him the best.
• Scottish PFA awards, clean sweep for Celtic. Tierney young player of the year, Sinclair player of the year, Dembele goal of the year (v St Johnstone) and Rodgers is manager of the year.
• In France, elections just over for the Presidential race. Fascist NF party defeated in final run-off but right-wing has been in ascendency and it's not good.
• Rumours starting again of interest in Tierney by mega clubs abroad.
• Janko returning from season long loan. After an initial injury, his loan away was deemed as a success. Potentially could be sold permanently to Barnsley.
• Celtic linked to Chelsea's young striker Solanke.Man U keen on Tierney.

Review

(GothamCelt of KdS)
Good game and good goals.
Three goals up early on but still plenty to play, and both games got stuck in for throughout the 90 minutes, enjoyed that.

Two more games to be undefeated in the league, get it done!

(El Salto of KDS)
Lets face it, the game was practically over after 11 minutes, and whether it was deliberate or sub consciously on our players part, they dropped their level after going 3-0 up.

When they scored from their wonder goal it gave them a boost, and they grew in confidence, but if Rogic had scored a great chance to make it 4-1 it could have been any number.

There were a few underachievers tonight and possession was given away too often, but its difficult to be critical of this Celtic team.

We werent at our best and they were at their route one, agricultural best, but still couldn't get near us.

When Brendan brought on Bitton to shore up the defence we looked more comfortable towards the end of the game.

Our support were magic, the sheep were howling about perceived injustices all night, they really are a bunch of kents.

McInnes was his usual delusional hun self, and Chris Sutton should get himself specs if he thinks that's a penalty.

100 points.

(kellybhoy of KDS)

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Stats

Aberdeen

Celtic

Possession
Home47%
Away53%

Shots
Home13
Away12

Shots on Target
Home3
Away8

Corners
Home10
Away4

Fouls
Home10
Away16

Articles

Aberdeen 1 – 3 Celtic: Champions hit 100-point mark in style

Celtic's Dedryck Boyata celebrates his goal with Leigh Griffiths. Picture: Craig Williamson/SNS
STEPHEN HALLIDAY
Celtic maintained their march towards an unprecedented undefeated campaign in domestic football as they reached the 100-point mark in the Scottish Premiership in breathtaking fashion.
Three goals in the first 11 minutes put Brendan Rodgers’ team in control against an Aberdeen side who will stand in their way again in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden in two weeks’ time. If Celtic do not slip up in either of their remaining league games against Partick Thistle and Hearts, they will be seeking both the treble and an historic mantle of invincibility when the sides reconvene at Hampden.
Aberdeen’s response to Celtic’s turbo-charged start at Pittodrie at least offered some hope to Derek McInnes that his players might be able to upset the odds in the season finale. They pulled one goal back and were unfortunate not to get even closer to the champions the longer a pulsating match went on.
Rodgers’ team selection provided an immediate indication that Celtic intended keeping nothing in reserve ahead of the showpiece at the national stadium on 27 May. With the exception of suspended skipper Scott Brown and injured top scorer Moussa Dembele, this was as strong a starting eleven as the champions could deploy.
The intensity of their desire to complete that unbeaten domestic season was powerfully underlined by their remarkable start to the match which left Aberdeen reeling.
The early three-goal salvo was kick-started by Patrick Roberts forcing a third minute corner when his shot was deflected wide. Leigh Griffiths provided the delivery from the right, picking out Dedryck Boyata who lost his marker Ash Taylor to score with a simple close range header.
Five minutes later, Celtic doubled their lead. Griffiths showed great pace and trickery to find space on the right and his low cross broke into the path of Callum McGregor. His shot was blocked by Shay Logan but Stuart Armstrong was quickest to react as he coolly swept home his 15th goal of the season.
The home support could scarcely take in what was happening to their team and their sense of bewilderment was heightened when Celtic made it 3-0. It was a nightmare moment for Aberdeen goalkeeper Joe Lewis who appeared to have Griffiths’ left foot shot from 22 yards covered but instead could only help the ball on its way into the net.
McInnes’ men were staring down the barrel of a humiliation on their own patch but roused themselves sufficiently to reclaim as foothold in the contest just two minutes later. Jonny Hayes engineered time and space to unleash a dipping shot from just outside the penalty area which left Craig Gordon flapping helplessly as the ball flew high into his net.
As the incredibly frantic pace showed no sign of relenting, Aberdeen should have pulled another goal back almost immediately. Kenny McLean’s cross found Jayden Stockley unmarked but the big striker headed wide from no more than six yards.
Celtic were soon back on the hunt at the other end of the pitch and Lewis was required to make a smart save to prevent Tom Rogic adding to the visitors’ tally in the 19th minute.
Aberdeen, though, were now providing their fans with some encouragement that their horrendous start to the match was not necessarily an omen of the fate which awaits them in the cup final. They again came close to reducing the deficit when Niall McGinn’s rising shot was touched over by Gordon. From the resulting corner, Ash Taylor might have done better than head wide at the back post.
As Aberdeen committed themselves full-bloodedly to trying to recover the situation, Celtic carried a potent menace on the counter attack and in needed a brilliant piece of tracking back by Hayes to prevent Scott Sinclair punishing the hosts with a lightning raid just before the end of a breathless first half.
The home side began the second half on the front foot and should have been rewarded with a penalty kick just four minutes after the restart. Graeme Shinnie surged into the area and managed to get a toe to the ball before he was felled by the advancing Gordon. It looked like a clear-cut spot kick but referee Steven McLean dismissed the appeals of astonished Dons captain Shinnie.
Rodgers made his first change of the night, replacing Rogic with Nir Bitton in an attempt to bring greater solidity in central midfielder, while McInnes sent on top scorer Adam Rooney for Stockley. Aberdeen continued to force openings and McLean wastefully blazed a shot wide when he was set free on the left of the Celtic penalty area.
Niall McGinn volleyed just over as Aberdeen stuck to the task but they had left themselves far too much to do. They created their own little piece of history in stoppage time when Dean Campbell – 16 years, one month and 23 days old – came on to become the youngest ever first team player for the Pittodrie club. It is Celtic, however, who are on the verge of rewriting the record books on a far grander scale

BBC

By Martin Dowden

BBC Scotland at Pittodrie

From the section Football

Scottish Premiership highlights: Aberdeen 1-3 Celtic

Champions Celtic scored three times in a blistering opening 11 minutes to overcome Aberdeen at Pittodrie and move to within two games of completing an unbeaten Scottish Premiership season.

Dedryck Boyata headed Celtic in front in three minutes, with Stuart Armstrong doubling the lead five minutes later.

Leigh Griffiths fired in a third, before Jonny Hayes gave the Dons hope with a curling shot within 60 seconds.

But the hosts could not to stop Celtic taking their points tally to 100.
Aberdeen 1-3 Celtic: Derek McInnes and Brendan Rodgers post-match interviews

Derek McInnes' side may look back ruefully at referee Steven McLean's decision not to award them a penalty when Craig Gordon collided with Graeme Shinnie.

But they will likely also reflect on their slow start to a fantastic contest, with Celtic apparently out of sight within 11 minutes.

Patrick Roberts signalled an early warning when he escaped and tested Joe Lewis, but that was not heeded and Griffiths' deep corner was headed in by an unchallenged Boyata.

Wonderful Griffiths skill created the second, the striker escaping on the right and feeding Callum McGregor. His shot was blocked by Shay Logan, but Armstrong was on hand to slam in a composed finish.

It quickly got even worse for Aberdeen. Griffiths turned, fired powerfully from distance and found the net, although Lewis should have done better than help the ball into his top-right corner.
Dedryck Boyata
Dedryck Boyata opens the scoring after just three minutes

It was a devastating start from the champions and the game looked finished. Aberdeen boss McInnes must have feared his side were on course for a damaging hammering in the run up to their meeting with Celtic in the Scottish Cup final.

But the Dons showed remarkable strength and ability to claw their way back in. Hayes was the inspiration for a revival when he turned and fired a wonderful left foot shot over Gordon and into the net.

Jayden Stockley should have netted a second moments later but his header slid marginally wide.

Aberdeen pressed on with confidence and Niall McGinn could only hit straight at Gordon from a great position. It could have been 3-3, or 5-3, with both sides looking likely to score again.

Shinnie claimed for a penalty when he nicked the ball before Gordon took him out but referee McLean said no, much to Aberdeen's fury. It looked a spot-kick and could have made such a difference.

It was mainly Aberdeen pushing forward in the second period. Kenny McLean should have hit the target when he broke into the box but fired off-target, as did McGinn shortly after.
Leigh Griffiths
Leigh Griffiths took his goals tally to 16 for the season

With the home side unable to turn pressure into goals, Nir Bitton's introduction for Celtic seemed to take the sting out of the game in the latter stages.

Both teams have much to ponder before coming together again at Hampden Park; positives and negatives.

Aberdeen looked all over the place defensively in the early stages, but responded strongly and caused Celtic problems. From that, they will take great belief.

Celtic manager Rodgers will be disappointed at how things panned out after that clinical opening period.

His side failed to control long periods of the contest and had to absorb a lot of pressure, which they did, but more than was comfortable.

However, the champions did demonstrate that when they fire, they are pretty much unstoppable.