2017-09-30: Celtic 2-2 Hibernian, SP

Trivia

• Back to the league after incredible night in Europe away, 3-0 v Anderlecht.
• McGregor the hero with 2 goals.
• Celtic now joint top with Aberdeen both on 20pts, both 6pts clear of Sevco.
• Celtic retain unbeaten run, but it was close with ex-Celt Neil Lennon's Hibs side leading 2-1 for a period.
• Some changes following recent sojourns in Europe; Armstrong & Brown out injured.
• Former Celtic manager candidate Owen Coyle has said his relationship with Ross County chairman Roy McGregor was one of the biggest motivating factors for him taking over at the Highland club. Just taken on the job and we wish him well.
• 1 min applause to commemorate passing of ex-Celt Paul Wilson.
• American Rap star 'Coolio' who is famous for an old 90s tune "Gangsta's Paradise" was guest of honour at the match and was paraded at half-time, and did the half-time draw. Nice touch but seemed a bit surreal to some. Great unexpected appearance.
• Leigh Griffiths said he wouldn’t celebrate if he scores against Hibs.
• Neil Lennon says he won’t celebrate if Hibs beat Celtic, he an ex-Celtic player & manager. First time he is facing Celtic as manager of another side. “People say ‘will you enjoy it?’ No, I won’t, either way it will be difficult to enjoy it. “
• Dedryk Boyata has made the Belgian national squad after an outstanding match v Anderlcht in the Champions League. Congratulations.
• Brown and Armstrong out of the Scotland Squad due to injury. McGregor to finally win a place in the squad? Edit: He was finally awarded that placethe dayafter this game, belated but necessary.

Review

(El Salto of KDS)
Too many changes, too many underperformers

We were sluggish and off the pace, while Hibs played very well

Our distribution from the back will be our undoing one of these days, too many passes going astray

People slagging off Hayes ffs, I thought he was better than the vast majority of the team. Tierney got pass marks as did McGregor, the rest were utter horse shampoo.

Best players on the pitch were all Hibs players, most notably Ambrose and McGinn

The referee is a fecking horrible spineless cheat, he gave them everything, and we should have had a penalty.

We have so many levels to go up so today was very disappointing.

(bmh of KDS)
Rogic Dembele and Hayes especially shampoo

Our passing and tiredness helped Hibs enormously today – as did the ref – some decisions today were beyond incompetent and two minutes injury one in a game with 4 gold and what 6? Or 5 subs

Rogic lost possession far too many times and the passing for. Ntcham and Boyata was particularly brutal and turned possession over way too often

Hibs did pretty well but gave it all they had against us as we served up our worst performance so far this season without 2 of our key players and they still didn't win but listening to the radio you'd think we got skelped

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Stats

Celtic
Hibernian

Possession
Home59%
Away41%

Shots
Home13
Away15

Shots on Target
Home5
Away7

Corners
Home3
Away6

Fouls
Home11
Away14

Articles

Celtic 2-2 Hibs: McGregor leveller saves Celtic’s unbeaten record
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/celtic-2-2-hibs-mcgregor-leveller-saves-celtic-s-unbeaten-record-1-4574648
RONNIE ESPLIN
Published: 17:29 Saturday 30 September 2017

Neil Lennon returned to Celtic Park as Hibernian boss and left with a point after John McGinn and Callum McGregor both scored a double.

The former Hoops player and manager was given a warm reception from the home fans before McGregor, left out of Gordon Strachan’s recent Scotland squad to some surprise, drove in the opener in the 15th minute.

Two stunning strikes by McGinn after the break put the Easter Road ahead before McGregor levelled with 10 minutes remaining to extend Celtic’s unbeaten domestic run to 58 games.

The Hoops’ convincing 3-0 Champions League win over Anderlecht on Wednesday night ensured a packed stadium for their return and they were treated to another 90 minutes of excitement.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, without injured captain Scott Brown and fellow midfielder Stuart Armstrong, made five changes.

French attacker Odsonne Edouard started alongside fellow countryman Moussa Dembele with McGregor, James Forrest and Jonny Hayes back in the side.

Anthony Stokes, Efe Ambrose and Dylan McGeouch were ex-Celts in the Hibs side, adding another sub-plot to the encounter

Hoops keeper Craig Gordon tipped a 25-yard free-kick from Stokes over the bar in the third minute as Hibs started confidently.

However, gradually the champions played themselves into the game.

When Dembele played in McGregor he fired low past Hibs keeper Ross Laidlaw from 16 yards for his fifth goal of the season.

That appeared to be Celtic into their stride and moments later Laidlaw pulled out a decent save from midfielder Tom Rogic’s drive.

Hibs, though, were not out of it and in the 34th minute Celtic defender Dedryck Boyata had to speed back to deny Martin Boyle who had raced on to a Lewis Stevenson pass.

At the other end, Laidlaw blocked an Edouard effort after he was set up by Hayes in a swift counter-attack.

Scott Sinclair replaced Edouard for the start of the second half and within three minutes had drawn a good save from Laidlaw, his drive from 12 yards parried and then cleared by Stevenson.

McGinn’s equaliser in the 53rd minute stunned Celtic Park.

As the home side set themselves up to defend their penalty area midfielder Marvin Bartley drifted along the edge of the box and when the ball fell neatly for the former St Mirren player who fired low past Gordon.

The match turned in Hibs favour and after Leigh Griffiths replaced Dembele and only a remarkable Gordon save in the 65th minute kept the home side on level terms.

When a McGinn corner fell to Steven Whittaker a yard out it looked a certain goal but somehow the Scotland keeper beat away his shot for another corner.

McGregor cleared the bar moment later as an exciting finale ensued and when McGinn fired high past Gordon from 22 yards after Mikael Lustig had headed clear an Ambrose there was an air of disbelief around the stadium.

Celtic rallied and after Griffiths’ cross was knocked back into the path of McGregor after several players challenged for it, he steered the ball in from 12 yards.

There was a Celtic penalty claim in the 87th minute when Ambrose appeared to impede Sinclair before the Hoops substitute had his shot parried away by Laidlaw.

Referee Willie Collum ignored the appeals to the anger of the home supporters, who, when the dust settled, will recognise that they had witnessed their side given a rare domestic test.

BBC

By Tom English

BBC Scotland at Celtic Park

Callum McGregor opened the scoring and later levelled with his sixth goal of the season

Hibernian came close to ending Celtic's now 58-game unbeaten domestic run on Neil Lennon's return to his old club.

The former Celtic boss saw his side fall behind to Callum McGregor's sweet first-half strike.

But two thumping goals from Scotland midfielder John McGinn put the visitors ahead with 13 minutes remaining.

But they could only hold the lead for three minutes, McGregor tucking home an equaliser before Scott Sinclair went close to a late winner for the hosts.

Celtic remain top of the Premiership, on goal difference from Aberdeen, while Hibs drop to sixth, but level on points with fifth-placed Motherwell.

The champions were ahead inside 16 minutes when Kieran Tierney's ball up the left found Moussa Dembele, who held it up and then fed the on-rushing McGregor. The midfielder composed himself, took a couple of touches and then swept his shot past Ross Laidlaw.

It was a terrific finish and it made you believe that this was going to be a comfortable enough day for Brendan Rodgers' team, even though his starting line-up showed multiple changes from midweek in Brussels. Scott Brown and Stuart Armstrong were injured and Scott Sinclair, Patrick Roberts and Leigh Griffiths were on the bench.

In came Odsonne Edouard, who was anonymous and replaced at the break by Sinclair, and Dembele who, save for his contribution to the goal, was utterly unthreatening.

The home team looked at ease even when Hibs began to get themselves into it during the opening half. . They had some moments in the match but nothing that caused a lax Celtic too many tremors. The main upset for Celtic was Willie Collum's booking of James Forrest for diving, when it looked like the winger had been fouled.
Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon urges his side on against Celtic
Neil Lennon was delighted with an "outstanding" second-half display that earned Hibs a point

Everything changed quite spectacularly at the beginning of the second half. For large chunks Hibs dominated midfield – McGinn bossed it in there – and sowed doubt in Celtic minds.

McGinn's equaliser was a beauty, drilled low to Craig Gordon's left. The Scotland midfielder was in his element. Olivier Ntcham might be a £4m player but he was poor here. He was nowhere near McGinn's level. Celtic missed Scott Brown in a major way.

Soon after, Steven Whittaker headed over from a good position, a curtain-raiser for a terrific Hibs chance. From a McGinn corner and an Anthony Stokes flick-on, Whittaker, standing free at the back post, must have thought he was about to score. Instead, his point-blank effort was somehow clawed away by Gordon. An outstanding save,.

The frustration of seeing that opportunity spurned didn't deter Hibs. They kept piling forward and with 13 minutes left, McGinn put them ahead with a rasping shot from distance that flew over Gordon. McGinn ran away to celebrate with his delirious supporters while Neil Lennon struggled manfully to keep to his word and not celebrate Hibs' joy.
John McGinn scores his second goal for Hibernian against Celtic
John McGinn lashes home his second goal for Hibs

Nobody would have blamed him had he gone berserk with excitement, but Lennon, more than anybody, knows that, in this place, it ain't over until it's over.

Sure enough, with nine minutes left, Celtic levelled. A corner, a knock-down and there was McGregor, cool as you like, to cushion it home.

How McGregor is not in Gordon Strachan's Scotland squad is anybody's guess. Celtic might have even sneaked it at the end when Sinclair went through and then claimed passionately that he'd been hauled back by Efe Ambrose. Collum ignored the claim and got booed off at the end as a result.

Pulsating stuff.