Match Pictures | Matches: 2025 – 2026
Trivia
- KO: 12:00, Sunday, Sky Sports TV, league match 13; St Andrews Day in Scotland
- Back to the league after midweek heroics.
- Celtic second on 29pts & +14 GD, with Hearts 2pts in front & +18GD but have played a game more. Hearts (day before) & Sevco (after Celtic) both dropped points in no score draws. Sevco now 7pts behind. Motherwell 3rd on goal difference above Sevco (albeit 1 game played more). Wheels coming off for Hearts!
- Martin O’Neill continues as interim manager, was expected to be his last match, but…: “I got a call yesterday to say the process is still ongoing and that there’s a really decent chance that I’ll still be here for Wednesday”
- Scottish Cup: Celtic have been drawn away to sixth-tier Auchinleck Talbot in the fourth round.
- Reports:
- Liverpool and Nottingham Forest monitoring Celtic youngster Dara Jikiemi, who can sign professional forms with Celtic at the end of the season.
- Crystal Palace and Fulham are among the clubs who are continuing to monitor highly-rated Glasgow-born Republic of Ireland winger Rocco Vata, with Watford valuing the former Celtic 20-year-old at £20m. Rocco Vata, who made six substitute appearances for Celtic, has changed representatives with “European clubs already showing interest”.
- Columbus Crew striker Wessam Abou Ali could follow Wilfried Nancy to Celtic should the head coach’s switch be confirmed are fanciful because the 26-year-old Palestine international has been sidelined through injury since September.
Summary
BBC: Hibernian 1-2 Celticpublished at 13:57 GMT 13:57 GMT Celtic win again under Martin O’Neill and are now two points behind Hearts with a game in hand. Hibs will be kicking themselves since they created a few good chances either side of a quickfire double from Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels.
Martin O’Neill’s record as interim boss at Celtic is now six wins and one defeat. The 73-year-old has taken maximum points from his four Premiership matches and it would seem he’s sticking around for a fifth at home to Dundee on Wednesday. Hearts were eight points clear when O’Neill replaced Brendan Rodgers. Now the gap is two points.
“I’ve been saying farewell to the players since I arrived! … Half the team wouldn’t have known who I was!”
Martin O’Neill
Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill: “Delighted to win. Hibs are very strong and a good side. To win after the excursions of Thursday night is very pleasing. “First goal was through pressing, the second is a magnificent move. The second half I knew Hibs would come strong. It was a long way home. That’s when the tiredness sets in. so for us to see the game through was remarkably pleasing. “We played some really, really lovely football again [in the first half]. The last 20-odd minutes [in the second half], I was so, so pleased with the team.” O’Neill reiterated that Wednesday’s game against Dundee at Celtic Park is likely to be his last in interim charge. However, on the prospect of staying on longer, he adds: “I don’t think that’s going to happen. The new manager has got to get himself together and stamp his own personality on the team and prepare himself for January to try to enhance the squad.” On what Celtic means to him, he says: “Everything. Absolutely everything. I remember when my father said to me when I was a player, ‘if Celtic come for you, you go there’. “The second best thing is managing the team. And they’ve come for me twice.”
Joebloggscity of TheCelticWiki:
To close to the start of the match, most Celtic fans were expecting this to be Martin O’Neill’s final match in charge as interim manager, but a pre-match interview stated that Martin O’Neill was expected to be the manager for Wednesday’s match. Some cheering so gives the fans a chance to say goodbye on Wed if that becomes his last match.
Anyhow, as for today’s game, two key points are that Hibs away has been a tough one over the years and Celtic coming into the game from an away European match which has many a time seen a dip in form. Celtic though had won finely away during the week, Hearts had dropped the day before, and there was some momentum for Celtic. So with all this on side, today was hoped to be a good one.
Hibs came out fast out the traps, but after Celtic had a goal disallowed correctly (for offside), the first half was mostly all Celtic, with two goals scored together. Hibs did have a good chance to take the lead, but thankfully not.
However, the second half was a different affair, and Hibs came back well into the game bouyed by a goal from a penalty. However, the penalty was contentious, with VAR effectively awarding after calling the referee to have a second look, with Celtic fans dudging as it hit Scales onto his shoulder then his hand it shouldn’t have stood. After that it was a nervy second half, and Celtic didn’t do too much with Hibs on top most of it, and an equaliser was a big concern. Thankfully it finished in Celtic’s favour. Not an easy afternoon, but at least another three points, but the continuing problems with Celtic’s squad were apparent.
However, the form of Engles with Hatate is really paying dividends now, and Maeda seems to be happier with it too. Schemiechel after some criticism of late, really kept Celtic in the game with some excellent saves. There’s still life in the old horse.
JBJ712 of KDS:
Great result after the exertions of Thursday night in Holland. Team were dead on their feet in the last half hour but saw the game through despite the best efforts of Deputy Head Hun.
Why was the Hibs player not sent off for full blown kick to Engel’s face?
Why was the big lump allowed to basically stick the head on Yang in the penalty box and not give away a penalty?
DHH allowed the big lad playing for Hibs Bowie to crash in to Trusty and Scales all day and never gave a foul while Maeda just had to look at Hibs players for him to blow up for a foul.
So all in all a brilliant result that as many have said I doubt we would have seen from a team under Rodgers who always seemed to struggle at Easter Road.
James McFadden Former Scotland forward on Sky Sports: Martin O’Neill’s come in to do what he’s done and probably exceeded expectation. It was to come in and bring stability back to the team. He’s done that brilliantly, winning games and performances have been great. You can tell what the fans feel about him. He’s a legend. He’s certainly not [tainted his legacy]. You can tell he’s enjoying himself. He’s been exactly what Celtic needed at this time. You can see a team working and fighting for each other. “His job was to stabilise the club and put them in a better place, and that’s undoubtedly going to be the case.”
Inside The SPFL @AgentScotland · 3h Huge three points for Celtic, those three away games straight after the international break looked pretty daunting for this squad, and for Martin O’Neill to win them all and start getting performances out of Hatate, Maeda and Engels again has been massive for this team. Easter Road has been Celtic’s most difficult venue in the Scottish Premiership since Hibernian won promition in 2017, but it’s never been an issue for Martin O’Neill in the top flight, his record there is P10 W7 D3 L0 GF24 GA8. Couldn’t see him not winning today at all. Sutton was all over the place during that second half, was wanting Celtic to kill the game because Hibs had all the momentum after their penalty, then when they killed the game he was moaning that they weren’t doing anything with the ball. Martin O’Neill has been so vocal about not being here long since they day he returned, but if that’s just bluster & he’s willing, then they should just give him the job, there is no such thing as ‘long-term’ at Celtic anymore, if Nancy is a success, he’ll be gone by 2028 anyway. Falkirk were every bit worthy of their point at Ibrox this afternoon, they were probably the team that left the pitch the most disappointed in not snatching it at the death. When MON came back to Celtic they were 8 behind Hearts, had a semi-final against Rangers that felt daunting & a UEL season that looked in tatters, now they’re 2 points off top with game in hand, in the final of the cup & back in UEL contention. Leaving now could be catastrophic.
Teams
Celtic
Manager: Martin O’Neill
Formation: 4 – 3 – 3
01 K. Schmeichel 56′, Yellow Card at 56mins
36 M. Saracchi, subbed for K. Tierney at 63mins
05 L. Scales 54′, Yellow Card at 54mins
06 A. Trusty
51 C. Donovan 16′, Yellow Card at 16mins, subbed for A. Ralston at 46mins
41 R. Hatate, subbed for Paulo Bernardo at 77mins
42 C. McGregor (c), Captain
27 A. Engels
13 Yang Hyun-Jun, subbed for S. Tounekti at 86mins
38 D. Maeda
14 L. McCowan, subbed for B. Nygren at 63mins
Subs:
10 M. Balikwisha
28 Paulo Bernardo
24 J. Kenny
47 D. Murray
08 B. Nygren
56 A. Ralston
12 V. Sinisalo
63 K. Tierney
23 S. Tounekti
Goals:
D. Maeda (27′)
A. Engels (28′)
Assists:
R. Hatate (27′)
Hibernian
Manager: David Gray
Formation: 3 – 4 – 1 – 2
01 R. Sallinger
21 J. Obita 56′, Yellow Card at 56mins, subbed for J. Campbell at 67mins
33 R. Bushiri
05 W. O’Hora
19 N. Cadden, subbed for J. Iredale at 38mins
14 M. Chaiwa 35′, Yellow Card at 35mins, subbed for J. Newell at 79mins
20 J. Mulligan, subbed for D. Barlaser at 79mins
12 C. Cadden
17 J. McGrath 28′, Yellow Card at 28mins
09 K. Bowie
10 M. Boyle (c), Captain, subbed for É. Youan at 79mins
Subs:
22 D. Barlaser
32 J. Campbell
15 J. Iredale
06 D. Levitt
27 K. Megwa
24 Z. Mitchell
11 J. Newell
13 J. Smith
07 É. Youan
Goals:
M. Boyle (56′ pen)
Assists:
Referee Nick Walsh
Video Assistant Referee Grant Irvine
Assistant Referee 1 Daniel McFarlane
Assistant Referee 2 Frank Connor
Fourth Official Euan Anderson
Assistant VAR Official Ross Hardie
Venue:Easter Road Stadium
Attendance:18,419
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Match Links
- Prior https://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/hibs-v-celtic-spfl-sun-30th-nov-12-noon-sky-footba-t144007.html
- Match https://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/hibs-v-celtic-live-match-thread-ft-1-2-maeda-engel-t144012.html
- Post https://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/hibs-v-celtic-post-match-thread-ft-1-2-maeda-engel-t144014.html
- MoTM https://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/motm-v-hibs-t144013.html
Stats
Hibernian
Key
Celtic
Basic Stats
Overall possession
HIB
39.7%
CEL
60.3%
Hibernian 39.7%Celtic 60.3%
Shots
Hibernian 9Celtic 6
9
Shots
6
Shots on target
Hibernian 4Celtic 2
4
Shots on target
2
Total touches inside the opposition box
Hibernian 25Celtic 19
HIB
25
19
CEL
Goalkeeper saves
Hibernian 0Celtic 3
0
Goalkeeper saves
3
Aerial duels won
Hibernian 11Celtic 15
11
Aerial duels won
15
Fouls committed
Hibernian 9Celtic 18
9
Fouls committed
18
Corners
Hibernian 4Celtic 3
4
Corners
3
In-depth match stats
Attack
Shots
Hibernian 9Celtic 6
9
Shots
6
Shots on target
Hibernian 4Celtic 2
4
Shots on target
2
Shots off target
Hibernian 4Celtic 1
4
Shots off target
1
Attempts out of box
Hibernian 3Celtic 1
3
Attempts out of box
1
Hit woodwork
Hibernian 0Celtic 1
0
Hit woodwork
1
Total offsides
Hibernian 4Celtic 2
4
Total offsides
2
Distribution
Total passes
Hibernian 358Celtic 565
358
Total passes
565
Pass accuracy %
Hibernian 79.1Celtic 86.5
79.1
Pass accuracy %
86.5
Backward passes
Hibernian 62Celtic 95
62
Backward passes
95
Forward passes
Hibernian 116Celtic 166
116
Forward passes
166
Total long balls
Hibernian 54Celtic 49
54
Total long balls
49
Successful final third passes
Hibernian 57Celtic 65
57
Successful final third passes
65
Total crosses
Hibernian 20Celtic 9
20
Total crosses
9
Defence
Total tackles
Hibernian 6Celtic 14
6
Total tackles
14
Won tackle %
Hibernian 66.7Celtic 85.7
66.7
Won tackle %
85.7
Fouls committed
Hibernian 9Celtic 18
9
Fouls committed
18
Total yellow cards
Hibernian 3Celtic 3
3
Total yellow cards
3
Total clearances
Hibernian 22Celtic 29
22
Total clearances
29
Articles
Celtic have a winning hand but are prepared to take the gamble with forced separation on cards
Matthew Elder
By Matthew Elder
Deputy Sports Editor
Published 30th Nov 2025, 17:26 GMT
Updated 30th Nov 2025, 19:30 GMT
Keep Watching
Hibs 1 Celtic 2 reaction
O’Neill claims sixth win in seven matches as Celtic close gap on Hearts
It was the winning send-off Celtic and Martin O’Neill wanted – only it wasn’t goodbye after all.
Sunday’s match against Hibs was supposed to be O’Neill’s last as interim Celtic manager but by the time it came to conducting his pre-match interviews at Easter Road, the goalposts had moved.
“Something to do with paperwork”, O’Neill explained as he informed supporters that he will be in charge for at least one more match, with the midweek visit of Dundee providing a chance for a final Celtic Park farewell ahead of the anticipated, but now delayed arrival of Wilfried Nancy from Columbus Crew.
No-one of a Celtic persuasion is complaining. Indeed, after this 2-1 victory on a sunny but chilly afternoon in Leith, the Celtic support may prefer it if O’Neill hung around even longer after the gap to Premiership leaders Hearts was closed to two points with a game in hand. Might the man himself feel the same way?
O’Neill may give off the air of a man content to come in, do his bit, then step back into retirement, but the sight of the 73-year-old in his Celtic tracksuit, prowling the edge of his technical area, cajoling his players and kicking every ball in scenes reminiscent of 20 years ago, spoke of a man very much in his element.
Forced separation on cards
Despite what he may have said to the contrary, it may not take much convincing for O’Neill to continue in his caretaker position for a while longer. With matches against Hearts, Roma and the Premier Sports Cup final against St Mirren on the horizon, extending his reign by another fortnight might not be the worst idea.
Celtic resemble a poker player willing to fold a winning hand and bet their chips on the next set of cards being better. What was supposed to be a short-term fix, with O’Neill assisted by Shaun Maloney, looks more like a viable longer term solution with a forced separation on the cards. Of course, Nancy could be the gamble that pays off for Celtic, but one thing is for sure, he has a tough act to follow.
Fresh off a famous victory over Feyenoord in Rotterdam, O’Neill and Celtic arrived in Edinburgh with a spring in their step looking to back that up with another winning performance. Hibs, meanwhile, wanted a reaction from their midweek defeat to Motherwell.
Both sides got what they were looking for – to an extent – although the overall feeling for the home side was one of frustration at losing a match they deserved something from.
A mad 33 seconds midway through the first half when Hibs conceded two goals in super-quick succession cost them dear. A lively start from the hosts saw them pass up a glorious chance to take the lead after 12 minutes, Martin Boyle firing wide from a teasing Nicky Cadden cross with the goal at his mercy.
Hibs shot themselves in the foot on 27 minutes when goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger, under pressure from Daizen Maeda, played a risky pass to Miguel Chaiwa. The midfielder slipped, allowing Reo Hatate to steal possession and feed Maeda to find the empty net.
A gift, perhaps, but Celtic forced the mistake with the lively pressing of Maeda and Hatate in a repeat of the second goal Feyenoord conceded in midweek.
Hibs boss David Gray had switched to a back four for the first time this season as he made do without the suspended Grant Hanley but his defence were carved open again straight from kick-off.
Hyun-jun Yang – one of several Celtic players now operating on a different level since the arrival of O’Neill – crossed the ball for another, Arne Engels, to bravely head home as he took a boot to the face from Jamie McGrath.
Celtic were now in the groove and Hibs needed half-time. The woodwork spared them from falling three behind when Marcelo Sarrachi crashed an effort against the outside of the post.
A lifeline for the home side was provided by VAR, who spotted that Liam Scales had handled in the box, 11 minutes after the restart. Boyle shrugged off his earlier miss by slotting the penalty past a motionless Kasper Schmeichel.
Hibs pushed for an equaliser that never came, with Celtic thanking their Danish goalkeeper for a big save late in the game to deny Chris Cadden after excellent set-up work from Kieron Bowie.
There was a warm welcome from Hibs fans for Joe Newell, who made his first appearance in 11 months after injury. But the match ended with Celtic fans chanting the name of their interim manager, who gave them a quick wave before disappearing up the tunnel.
A longer goodbye awaits on Wednesday.
Celtic keep up winning run with victory over Hibernian
First Team
By Matthew Campbell
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30 Nov 2025, 2:04 pm
Scottish Premiership
Sunday, November 30, 2025
Easter Road, Edinburgh
HIBS…1
(Boyle 56 )
CELTIC…2
(Maeda 27, Engels 28)
Celtic’s winning run continued with a 2-1 victory over Hibernian at Easter Road this afternoon, with two first-half goals enough to deliver all three points in the capital.
Celtic put together a clever move early in proceedings when Reo Hatate picked up the ball in space in the centre of the pitch and drove forward before clipping a pass through to Luke McCowan, but Hibs’ keeper was quick to close the Celtic midfielder down and the chance was gone.
That combination of McCowan and Hatate looked like it had set up the opening goal a few minutes later when, after some nice link-up play in the middle, the ball was shifted to Yang who delivered a cross to Daizen Maedan. He, in turn, found the back of the net from close range, but the offside flag cut the celebrations short.
Hibs then looked to exert some pressure of their own with a ball in to the Celtic box from the left wing which was met by Martin Boyle, but fortunately for the Celts, the Hibs man was unable to hit the target.
In Rotterdam on Thursday night, Celtic profited from a goalkeeping error which led to Reo Hatate’s cool finish from distance, and there was something of a repeat of that at Easter Road this afternoon, when a poor kick-out from Sallinger went straight to Hatate, who set up Daizen Maeda for a simple finish from close range to make it 1-0.
Celtic doubled their lead almost instantly and this time it was Yang who was the provider, sending a good ball in to the box after linking up with Marcelo Saracchi.
Arne Engels was brave as he directed a header towards the target before being clattered by Jamie McGrath, but neither the Hibs man’s efforts nor the goalkeeper’s touch on the ball could stop the goal, and Celtic had a 2-0 lead.
Marcelo Saracchi, making his first appearance after recently recovering from injury, almost made it 3-0 just before half time after some excellent passing play from Celtic.
The Uruguayan unleased an effort from inside the box after a clever back-heel from Maeda, but his shot cannoned off of the post and out of play for a goal kick.
40%
Possession
60%
9
Shots
6
4
Shots On Target
2
4
Corners
3
9
Fouls
18
3
0
Cards
3
0
Martin O’Neill made one change at the break, bringing Anthony Ralston on in place of Colby Donovan who had picked up a booking during the first half.
Hibs came close to dragging themselves back in to the game early in the second half when Jordan Obita whipped a dangerous cross in to the box, but Liam Scales was on hand to divert the ball behind for a corner kick.
From the corner kick, however, the hosts won a penalty after Liam Scales was adjudged to have committed a handball offence in the box. Martin Boyle stepped up to take the spot kick for Hibs and he coolly slotted the ball in to the bottom corner to make the scoreline 2-1 and give the hosts a route back in to the game.
Buoyed by their goal, Hibs looked like a re-energised side and the Celts were forced to focus on their defensive duties whilst the home side looked to apply pressure and find an equaliser.
Martin O’Neill made a few changes as the half progressed, bringing Kieran Tierney, Benjamin Nygren, Paulo Bernardo and Sebastian Tounekti on as Celtic defended resolutely at one end and tried to reestablish their two-goal lead at the other.
With five minutes to go, Hibs pieced together a dangerous attack and Kasper Schmeichel was forced to produce a good save with his legs to deny Chris Cadden from inside the box.
The victory over Hibs is the third consecutive away win for Martin O’Neill’s men following the international break, with a return to Paradise next on the cards when Dundee make the trip to the East End of Glasgow on Wednesday night.
Hibernian: Sallinger, O’Hora, Bushiri, Obita (Campbell 67′), Chris Cadden, Mulligan (Barlaser 79′), Chaiwa (Newell 79′), Nicky Cadden (Iredale 38′), McGrath, Boyle (Youan 79′), Bowie
Subs: Levitt, Youan, Newell, Smith, Iredale, Barlaser, Zach Mitchell, Megwa, Campbell
Celtic: Schmeichel, Donovan (Ralston 45′), Trusty, Scales, Saracchi (Tierney 63′), Engels, McGregor, Hatate (Paulo Bernardo 77′), McCowan (Nygren 63′), Maeda, Hyunjun Yang (Tounekti 86′)
Subs: Nygren, Balikwisha, Sinisalo, Tounekti, Kenny, Paulo Bernardo, Murray, Ralston, Tierney
Martin O’Neill: There’s a great spirit in the dressing-room
By Paul Cuddihy, Celtic View Editor
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30 Nov 2025, 3:28 pm
Celtic chalked up another away win – the third in a week following victories over St Mirren and Feyenoord – with a 2-1 win against Hibernian at Easter Road.
Goals from Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels delivered three points for the Hoops and reduce the deficit at the top of the table to just two points, with Celtic also having a game in hand.
Martin O’Neill, who is set to continue in the dugout this week when Celtic play host to Dundee on Wednesday night, was pleased with the win at what has always been a tough venue for the Hoops.
Speaking to Celtic TV after the game, he said: “You’re never comfortable in the game but we were doing really fine, and we had a great chance to maybe make it 3-0 just before half-time, and if that had gone in, then there’s a lot of relief.
“But we knew that Hibs were going to fight back. They got the penalty early on in the second-half and it was backs to the wall, but we’ve shown great resilience, especially after Thursday night, so I’ve got the utmost regard for the team.
“There’s a really good spirit within the dressing room. Of course, that comes from winning football matches but there’s a great togetherness as well.”
Arne Engels: I didn’t know I’d scored unti Cal told me
First Team
By Paul Cuddihy, Celtic View Editor
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30 Nov 2025, 3:42 pm
Arne Engels produced another strong performance in the Celtic midfield, which included putting his body on the line to score what proved to be the winning goal against Hibernian at Easter Road.
The Belgian midfielder headed home Celtic’s second goal just moments after Daizen Maeda had given the Hoops the lead, with Engels requiring treatment for a facial injury picked up as he scored.
Speaking to Celtic TV after the game, the 22-year-old said: “To be honest, I didn’t really see it going in so I didn’t know it was a goal until Cal told me.
“So I was happy although I was still a bit worried for my nose actually because it was a sore one, but in the end, I’m really happy to get a goal and for the team to get a win here.”
“I think we were really good today. It’s a really tough place to come and we dealt with it really well so I’m really proud of the boys today.
“We scored two really good goals from pressing and from a cross, so we can be really happy with our performance here and now we just need to keep on going and win every game that comes now.
“There’s a really good atmosphere that we have and before this week came up we told ourselves that it would be really tough, so it’s really nice to get three victories away from home because it’s never easy, and I’m really proud of the boys that we came through this week really well.”
BBC
Kheredine Idessane
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cde670kk236t?page=6#Report
BBC Sport Scotland at Easter Road
Interim Celtic manager Martin O’Neill preserved his perfect domestic record, as two goals in 33 first-half seconds helped defeat Hibernian and move the champions within two points of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts with a game in hand.
The Northern Irishman revealed prior to this game that he now expects to stay in charge for Wednesday’s visit of Dundee, while the paperwork for Wilfried Nancy’s arrival is finalised.
And the 73-year-old earned a sixth win in seven matches during his stint thanks to goals by Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels.
Those knocked the stuffing out of Hibs, who had started well and spurned a couple of good chances when neither Martin Boyle nor Jamie McGrath could find the target.
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A defensive mix-up soon made them regret their lack of precision. A poor pass out from goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger enabled Reo Hatate to steal easy possession close to the Hibs area and he squared for Maeda who rolled the ball into an empty net.
It was two within less than a minute when Engels took a boot to the face as he bravely headed in Hyun-Jun Yang’s cross.
The game was nearly ended as a contest when Maeda back-heeled the ball into the path of the on-rushing full-back Marcelo Saracchi but his shot struck a post.
However, Hibs showed plenty of courage and quality after the interval and made a real game of it in the second half.
Martin Boyle’s well-taken penalty, awarded after a video assistant referee review for a Liam Scales handball, created new energy and momentum but the Leith side just couldn’t find an equaliser.
Chris Cadden came close in the dying minutes but his shot was very well saved by the sprawling legs of Kasper Schmeichel with the Celtic defence beaten.
Graphic
This was a victory which bore all the hallmarks of the Celtic side of a year ago.
Energy, no little skill and relentless pressing. The elements which led the side to the brink of a famous win Champions League win at Bayern Munich in February but have been conspicuous by their absence pretty much ever since.
One cannot underestimate the impact of O’Neill. These are the same players Brendan Rodgers had at his disposal. They just look different.
Maeda and Hatate have been completely re-energised. The former was a constant menace; the latter, full of vision and creativity.
Then we come to the conundrum that is Yang. In fleeting glimpses across the past two years, he has shown what he can do.
Now, in back-to-back games, he’s tormented two good sides in Feyenoord and Hibs and is delivering on the promise he’s occasionally shown with assists and goals.
The biggest compliment you can give O’Neill is that Celtic are now starting to look far more like themselves. Were he to be given a much longer spell in charge, there might not be too many Parkhead supporters dissenting.
As for Hibs, they came out of the blocks like an Olympic sprinter but couldn’t make their early enterprise count. Then, as Christmas decorations start to go up across the country, they gave Celtic a seasonal gift the champions were unlikely to refuse.
The self-inflicted nature of the first goal – and the speed of the second – made any kind of meaningful recovery difficult.
They gave it a good go but, nonetheless, it’s consecutive defeats for David Gray’s men for the first time since 23 November last year.
What they said
01:49
Media caption,
O’Neill on Celtic future as final game approaches
Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill: “We played some really, really lovely football again [in the first half]. The last 20-odd minutes [in the second half], I was so, so pleased with the team.
“The second half I knew Hibs would come strong. That’s when the tiredness sets in, so for us to see the game through was pleasing.”
Live Text
Postat 90 minutes plus 6
90’+6
Match ends, Hibernian 1, Celtic 2.
Full Timeat 90 minutes plus 6
90’+6
Second Half ends, Hibernian 1, Celtic 2.
Postat 90 minutes plus 4
90’+4
Foul by Arne Engels (Celtic).
Postat 90 minutes plus 4
90’+4
Élie Youan (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Postat 90 minutes plus 2
90’+2
Arne Engels (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 90 minutes plus 2
90’+2
Foul by Joe Newell (Hibernian).
Postat 90 minutes plus 1
90’+1
Foul by Daizen Maeda (Celtic).
Postat 90 minutes plus 1
90’+1
Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 90 minutes plus 1
90’+1
Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time.
Postat 90 minutes
90′
Offside, Hibernian. Rocky Bushiri is caught offside.
Postat 90 minutes
90′
Foul by Arne Engels (Celtic).
Postat 90 minutes
90′
Joe Newell (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 89 minutes
89′
Attempt blocked. Callum McGregor (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Postat 88 minutes
88′
Arne Engels (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Postat 88 minutes
88′
Foul by Jack Iredale (Hibernian).
Postat 87 minutes
87′
Attempt missed. Josh Campbell (Hibernian) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Jamie McGrath with a cross following a corner.
Postat 86 minutes
86′
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Kasper Schmeichel.
Postat 86 minutes
86′
Attempt saved. Chris Cadden (Hibernian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner by Kasper Schmeichel (Celtic).
Substitutionat 86 minutes
86′
Substitution, Celtic. Sebastian Tounekti replaces Yang Hyun-Jun.
Postat 85 minutes
85′
Offside, Hibernian. Kieron Bowie is caught offside.
84′
Foul by Daizen Maeda (Celtic).
Postat 84 minutes
84′
Daniel Barlaser (Hibernian) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Postat 83 minutes
83′
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Liam Scales.
Postat 82 minutes
82′
Liam Scales (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 82 minutes
82′
Foul by Élie Youan (Hibernian).
Postat 80 minutes
80′
Benjamin Nygren (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Postat 80 minutes
80′
Foul by Jack Iredale (Hibernian).
Substitutionat 79 minutes
79′
Substitution, Hibernian. Joe Newell replaces Miguel Chaiwa.
Substitutionat 79 minutes
79′
Substitution, Hibernian. Élie Youan replaces Martin Boyle.
Substitutionat 79 minutes
79′
Substitution, Hibernian. Daniel Barlaser replaces Josh Mulligan.
Postat 78 minutes
78′
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Chris Cadden.
Substitutionat 77 minutes
77′
Substitution, Celtic. Paulo Bernardo replaces Reo Hatate.
Postat 77 minutes
77′
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Rocky Bushiri.
Postat 72 minutes
72′
Offside, Hibernian. Josh Campbell is caught offside.
Postat 72 minutes
72′
Foul by Arne Engels (Celtic).
Postat 72 minutes
72′
Jamie McGrath (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 71 minutes
71′
Anthony Ralston (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 71 minutes
71′
Foul by Josh Mulligan (Hibernian).
Postat 70 minutes
70′
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Postat 69 minutes
69′
Delay in match because of an injury Yang Hyun-Jun (Celtic).#
68′
Foul by Arne Engels (Celtic).
Postat 68 minutes
68′
Warren O’Hora (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitutionat 67 minutes
67′
Substitution, Hibernian. Josh Campbell replaces Jordan Obita because of an injury.
Postat 66 minutes
66′
Offside, Celtic. Arne Engels is caught offside.
Postat 66 minutes
66′
Attempt blocked. Yang Hyun-Jun (Celtic) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kieran Tierney.
Substitutionat 63 minutes
63′
Substitution, Celtic. Kieran Tierney replaces Marcelo Saracchi.
Substitutionat 63 minutes
63′
Substitution, Celtic. Benjamin Nygren replaces Luke McCowan.
Postat 62 minutes
62′
Offside, Hibernian. Martin Boyle is caught offside.
Bookingat 56 minutes
56′
Kasper Schmeichel (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.
Bookingat 56 minutes
56′
Jordan Obita (Hibernian) is shown the yellow card.
Postat 56 minutes
56′
Goal! Hibernian 1, Celtic 2. Martin Boyle (Hibernian) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Bookingat 54 minutes
54′
Liam Scales (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for handball.
Postat 54 minutes
54′
VAR Decision: Penalty Hibernian.
Postat 52 minutes
52′
Penalty conceded by Liam Scales (Celtic) with a handball in the penalty area.
Postat 51 minutes
51′
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Liam Scales.
Postat 49 minutes
49′
Offside, Hibernian. Jordan Obita is caught offside.
Second Halfat 46 minutes
46′
Second Half begins Hibernian 0, Celtic 2.
Substitutionat 46 minutes
46′
Substitution, Celtic. Anthony Ralston replaces Colby Donovan.
Half Timeat 45 minutes plus 4
45’+4
First Half ends, Hibernian 0, Celtic 2.
Postat 45 minutes plus 3
45’+3
Foul by Liam Scales (Celtic).
45’+3
Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 45 minutes plus 3
45’+3
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Chris Cadden.
Postat 45 minutes plus 2
45’+2
Attempt saved. Miguel Chaiwa (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Kasper Schmeichel (Celtic).
Postat 45 minutes plus 1
45’+1
Dangerous play by Daizen Maeda (Celtic).
Postat 45 minutes plus 1
45’+1
Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 45 minutes
45′
Fourth official has announced 3 minutes of added time.
Postat 44 minutes
44′
Foul by Yang Hyun-Jun (Celtic).
Postat 44 minutes
44′
Josh Mulligan (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Postat 43 minutes
43′
Marcelo Saracchi (Celtic) hits the left post with a left footed shot from the left side of the box. Assisted by Daizen Maeda.
Postat 39 minutes
39′
Foul by Jordan Obita (Hibernian).
Postat 39 minutes
39′
Arne Engels (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitutionat 38 minutes
38′
Substitution, Hibernian. Jack Iredale replaces Nicky Cadden because of an injury.
Postat 37 minutes
37′
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Postat 36 minutes
36′
Delay in match because of an injury Nicky Cadden (Hibernian).
Bookingat 35 minutes
35′
Miguel Chaiwa (Hibernian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Postat 35 minutes
35′
Foul by Miguel Chaiwa (Hibernian).
Postat 35 minutes
35′
Colby Donovan (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 35 minutes
35′
Kieron Bowie (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 35 minutes
35′
Foul by Auston Trusty (Celtic).
Postat 31 minutes
31′
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
28′
Jamie McGrath (Hibernian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Postat 28 minutes
28′
Delay in match because of an injury Arne Engels (Celtic).
Goal!at 28 minutes
28′
Goal! Hibernian 0, Celtic 2. Arne Engels (Celtic) header from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal.
Goal!at 27 minutes
27′
Goal! Hibernian 0, Celtic 1. Daizen Maeda (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Reo Hatate.
Postat 20 minutes
20′
Jamie McGrath (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 20 minutes
20′
Foul by Reo Hatate (Celtic).
Postat 20 minutes
20′
Attempt blocked. Callum McGregor (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Luke McCowan.
Bookingat 16 minutes
16′
Colby Donovan (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Postat 16 minutes
16′
Jordan Obita (Hibernian) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Postat 16 minutes
16′
Foul by Colby Donovan (Celtic).
Postat 15 minutes
15′
Jordan Obita (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 15 minutes
15′
Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).
Postat 14 minutes
14′
Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 14 minutes
14′
Foul by Luke McCowan (Celtic).
Postat 13 minutes
13′
Attempt missed. Jamie McGrath (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Josh Mulligan.
Postat 13 minutes
13′
Foul by Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian).
Postat 13 minutes
13′
Daizen Maeda (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 12 minutes
12′
Attempt missed. Martin Boyle (Hibernian) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Nicky Cadden with a cross.
Postat 11 minutes
11′
Offside, Celtic. Yang Hyun-Jun is caught offside.
Postat 9 minutes
9′
Foul by Miguel Chaiwa (Hibernian).
9′
Daizen Maeda (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 9 minutes
9′
Attempt blocked. Jamie McGrath (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kieron Bowie.
Postat 8 minutes
8′
Jamie McGrath (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 8 minutes
8′
Foul by Colby Donovan (Celtic).
Postat 7 minutes
7′
Foul by Arne Engels (Celtic).
Postat 7 minutes
7′
Miguel Chaiwa (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Postat 5 minutes
5′
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Marcelo Saracchi.
Postat 4 minutes
4′
Handball by Yang Hyun-Jun (Celtic).
Postat 3 minutes
3′
Attempt saved. Martin Boyle (Hibernian) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Kasper Schmeichel (Celtic). Assisted by Josh Mulligan with a headed pass.
Postat 2 minutes
2′
Attempt missed. Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian) header from the right side of the six yard box misses to the right. Assisted by Jordan Obita with a cross.
Kick Offat 1 minute
1′
First Half begins.
Postat 1 minute
1′
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
O’Neill staying at Celtic for now… but should it be for even longer?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c4gp0z4xvwdo
Martin O’NeillImage source, PA Media
ByKheredine Idessane & Richard Winton
BBC Sport Scotland
Published
30 November 2025, 11:55 GMT
Updated 30 minutes ago
Martin O’Neill now thinks there is a “strong possibility” he will still be in charge of Celtic when Dundee visit on Wednesday.
Faltering Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts are next up after that on Sunday. Then Roma in the Europa League. Both in the east end of Glasgow. The League Cup final against St Mirren comes next, in two weeks’ time.
As the protracted process to make Wilfried Nancy the full-time successor to Brendan Rodgers drags on, might Celtic be better-served leaving the 73-year-old Northern Irishman in charge for a little while longer?
After Sunday’s win over Hibernian, O’Neill has six victories in his seven games. The Celtic players look revived. The fans are chanting his name.
He is clearly relishing being back in amongst it but believes he will just have one more ‘final’ game before disappearing back to his retirement.
But what has changed in his 35 days in charge? What’s the hold up with Nancy? And could O’Neill perhaps stick around a little while longer?
The numbers are impressive. Played seven, won six. Scored 18, conceded six.
They look even better when you factor in that only two of those games have been at home – with a previously impotent and misfiring team putting eight goals past Falkirk and Kilmarnock.
There was a League Cup semi-final at Hampden against Rangers. And two tough European away games, one of which resulted in a landmark win at Feyenoord.
Plus two tricky trips to St Mirren and Hibs, both resulting in priceless away victories.
O’Neill has a perfect domestic record in his five games in interim charge and will be fancied to make it six out of six when struggling Dundee come calling in midweek.
Hearts were eight points clear when he took charge, having beaten Celtic in Rodgers’ final match in charge.
The gap at the top is now two, with the Edinburgh side having played a game more.
Graphic
What has changed?
Things had ground to a halt under Rodgers. Celtic were simply awful in a 2-0 defeat at Dens Park and not much better in the 3-1 mauling at Tynecastle.
That proved the final straw for major shareholder Dermot Desmond and the board.
It’s been night and day since O’Neill returned to the club where he’d been revered in his previous stint between 2000 and 2005.
Where Celtic had struggled for goals and creativity in the latter stages of the Rodgers era, they’ve flown in under the former Republic of Ireland manager.
Players who didn’t have much of a look-in before, such as Auston Trusty, Callum Osmand and Johnny Kenny, were given a chance. The likes of Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate, a shadow of their former selves early in the season, suddenly look reborn.
This now looks more like the Celtic of a year ago, when Rodgers had the team at the peak of its powers, swatting domestic opposition aside and looking like a very decent Champions League outfit.
While league leaders Hearts have, by their own admission, lost their ‘swagger’ in recent weeks, Celtic have rediscovered theirs.
“There’s been a response,” O’Neill told Sky Sports after the win over Hibs. “Some of the players can really, really play this game. They just lost a bit of confidence.
“Half the team wouldn’t have known who I was. They’re thinking, this gentleman has arrived, quite old, grey hair. Who is he? And has Father Christmas come early? But it’s reinvigorated me, being around young people.
“I often thought that, you know, if you can praise the players well, they’ll accept a little bit of criticism, even in this day and age.”
What’s the hold-up with Nancy?
O’Neill effectively confirmed on Sunday that Nancy is the man Celtic are waiting for but that “paperwork” is holding up the deal.
The Frenchman needs a work permit, for a start. As do his backroom staff. And none of that can be sorted until the terms of their employment are confirmed.
So until the finer points of all the various contracts are signed and sealed, O’Neill will keep taking the team. So, as it stands, the earliest sighting of Nancy would be when Hearts visit next Sunday.
“I genuinely thought this was going to be the last game,” O’Neill explained at Easter Road. “Then I get a call yesterday to say that there’s a little bit more paperwork to be done. It must be some amount of paperwork…
“It looks as if I’ll see it through to Wednesday night.”
While the small print is poured over, former Scotland international James McFadden is content Celtic are in perfectly good hands with O’Neill.
“He’s come in and probably exceeded expectation,” McFadden said on Sky Sports. “His job was to stabilise the club and put them in a better place, and that’s the case.
“He’s done that brilliantly, winning games, and performances have been great. You can see a team working and fighting for each other.
Long-term? No. That ship has sailed.
Short-term? Probably not, either, although O’Neill did joke afterwards that he had “hidden” the paperwork to allow him to continue in the role and that continuing until the League Cup final “would be lovely”.
Listening to the Celtic fans who have been in touch with BBC Sport Scotland, plenty would be minded to stick with O’Neill through the next couple of weeks at least.
As one said, would it not be better to allow Nancy to take over a side who have just won a trophy rather than take over and risk losing a final so early in his tenure?
Given the Frenchman’s lack of coaching experience outside North America, another option might be O’Neill sticking around in an advisory capacity.
When asked, he said he wouldn’t be averse to that but only if this appealed to the new manager and that he thought it unlikely.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he told BBC Sport Scotland.
“The new manager has got to get himself together and stamp his own personality on the team and prepare himself for January to try to enhance the squad.”
Should he disappear back into the football punditocracy, O’Neill will bid Celtic farewell with his reputation as a club legend enhanced. Not that he seems concerned about that…
“Honestly, I’ve never worried about a legacy,” he said. “My worry was failing. And we certainly haven’t done that.
“I remember when my father said to me when I was a player: ‘If Celtic come for you, you go there’. The second best thing is managing the team. And they’ve come for me twice.”
…