Match Pictures | Matches: 2026 – 2027
Trivia
- KO: 19:45, Wednesday, League Match 4, Celtic TV only
- All sides bar Hearts/Hibs (tomorrow) played tonight. Celtic on 12pts +9GD, comfortably in front with St Mirren second on 10pts, Sevco scrapped 2-1 win v Falkirk second bottom.
- Number of last minute transfers in (mostly loans) before Europa Lge deadline:
Perm:
Dutch midfielder Joel van den Berg on 4yr deal from PSV Eindhoven - Loans:
Former England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone from Wolves
Chelsea duo Shumaira Mheuka and Landon Emenalo,
Swiss right-back Jordan Lotomba from Feyenoord - Johnny Kenny sold for £3.5m to Preston NE.
- van den Berg was on the Celtic bus in the tracksuit but wasn’t announced till later.
- Kenny Dalglish was present as guest of honour at the match.
- Debut for Mheuka & Sorensen ; Johnstone (on bench but didn’t come on)
- Hatate: Burnley paid £6.5m, giving Celtic a sizeable return on the £1.4m. All the best to him.
Summary
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill: “We played very well. We seemed to control the game for the most part and I thought the first goal was a big moment because the game was still in the balance.
“Overall I’m just delighted with the win, the goals we scored and pretty pleased with the display.”
Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson: “It’s been a tough few days. I thought we lacked belief in the first half, we were way too passive for the first goal and we got punished by how clinical Celtic were.
“We hit the crossbar at 2-0 which could change the game, they go up the other end and we make a mistake and the game is effectively over.”
Teams
Celtic
Manager: Martin O’Neill
Formation: 4 – 1 – 4 – 1
Starting lineup
01, V. Sinisalo
05, L. Scales
06, A. Trusty
20, C. Carter-Vickers,38′, Yellow Card at 38 mins
51, C. Donovan
42, C. McGregor (c), Captain
13, Yang Hyun-Jun, subbed for J. Forrest at 74 mins
21, A. Oxlade-Chamberlain, subbed for O. Sørensen at 63 mins
08, B. Nygren, subbed for M. Baur at 63 mins
23, Haissem Hassan, subbed for S. Tounekti at 76 mins
11, C. Durán, subbed for S. Mheuka at 75 mins
Subs:
22, M. Baur
49, J. Forrest
26, S. Johnstone
14, L. McCowan
29, S. Mheuka
47, D. Murray
56, A. Ralston
18, O. Sørensen
17, S. Tounekti
Goals:
C. Durán (14′)
B. Nygren (34′)
Yang Hyun-Jun (45’+1)
Assists:
B. Nygren (14′)
C. Durán (45’+1)
Aberdeen
Manager: Stephen Robinson
Formation: 05 – 3 – 2
Starting lineup
27, M. Müller
21, G. Molloy, subbed for J. Milne at 82 mins
05, M. Knoester
23, L. Mayo,42′, Yellow Card at 42 mins
24, N. Guinness-Walker
28, C. Cadden
10, A. Briedl, subbed for T. Olusanya at 46 mins
32, A. Aremu, subbed for C. Ronan at 46 mins
17, S. Armstrong
09, A. Mouloua, subbed for M. Ntelo at 46 mins
15, K. Nisbet (c), Captain, subbed for L. Smith at 46 mins
Subs:
02, N. Devlin
40, F. Marshall
22, J. Milne
31, M. Ntelo
20, T. Olusanya
25, C. Ronan
11, L. Smith
13, N. Suman
07, T. Yogane
Goals:
Assists:
Referee: Duncan Nicolson
Video Assistant Referee: John Beaton
Assistant Referee 1: Frank Connor
Assistant Referee 2: Chris Rae
Fourth Official: Peter Stuart
Assistant VAR Official: Sean Carr
Att:
Venue:Celtic Park
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Match Links
Stats
Basic Stats
Overall possession
Celtic 66.2%
Aberdeen 33.8%
Shots
Celtic 27
Aberdeen 9
Shots on target
Celtic 12
Aberdeen 2
Total touches inside the opposition box
Celtic 40
Aberdeen 12
CEL
ABE
Goalkeeper saves
Celtic 2
Aberdeen 9
Aerial duels won
Celtic 18
Aberdeen 7
Fouls committed
Celtic 10
Aberdeen 7
Corners
Celtic 15
Aberdeen 5
In-depth match stats
Attack
Shots
Celtic 27
Aberdeen 9
Shots on target
Celtic 12
Aberdeen 2
Shots off target
Celtic 10
Aberdeen 3
Attempts out of box
Celtic 14
Aberdeen 4
Hit woodwork
Celtic 0
Aberdeen 1
Total offsides
Celtic 0
Aberdeen 2
Distribution
Total passes
Celtic 746
Aberdeen 377
Pass accuracy %
Celtic 92.6
Aberdeen 84.1
Backward passes
Celtic 128
Aberdeen 62
Forward passes
Celtic 194
Aberdeen 115
Total long balls
Celtic 36
Aberdeen 55
Successful final third passes
Celtic 207
Aberdeen 45
Total crosses
Celtic 27
Aberdeen 15
Defence
Total tackles
Celtic 14
Aberdeen 18
Won tackle %
Celtic 64.3
Aberdeen 44.4
Fouls committed
Celtic 10
Aberdeen 7
Total yellow cards
Celtic 1
Aberdeen 1
Total clearances
Celtic 17
Aberdeen 21
Articles
BBC
Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland
Camilo Duran made it six goals in seven games for Celtic as Martin O’Neill’s side continued their unbeaten start to their domestic campaign with a comfortable Scottish Premiership victory at home to Aberdeen.
After a nervy end to proceedings against Falkirk at the weekend, Celtic’s three first half goals ensured they were well on their way to three points after 45 minutes against their abject visitors.
Duran got Celtic up and running with a wonderful strike from the edge of the box which cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net.
Haissem Hassan, who had been firing in crosses for most of the first half, skipped past Lewis Mayo and sent another delivery towards the back post.
Duran appeared to get a touch on the ball and help it on to the onrushing Benjamin Nygren, whose low shot bobbled into the back of the net.
Aberdeen finally had a chance to pull one back as Gavin Molloy smashed a header off the Celtic crossbar but, 26 seconds later, Celtic had a third.
The ball was cleared and the hosts raced up the other end before a perfectly weighted pass from Duran played in Yang Hyun-jun and the winger finished coolly into the bottom left corner of Marius Muller’s goal.
Celtic remain top of the table with four wins from four while Aberdeen remain in the lower reaches of the division.
When Celtic added both Duran and Kasper Hogh in the summer, there were plenty of questions as to how Martin O’Neill would utilise two strikers.
Both scored goals for fun at their respective clubs last season, including in the Champions League, and both prefer to play through the middle.
Since their arrivals, Hogh has been deployed centrally with Duran pushed out on the right but, in light of the former’s injury, Duran has been used through the middle. And, boy, has he given O’Neill something to think about when Hogh returns.
That’s now six goals in seven games for the Colombian who, alongside his goal on Wednesday, added another assist to his tally for eight goal involvements in seven competitive games.
Against Aberdeen, Duran had six shots, four on target and five inside the box, along with eight touches. He also generated an xG (expected goals) of 0.62.
Even if Hogh is fit for Saturday’s trip to St Mirren, it feels like Duran has made a real claim to keep his spot up top.
When asked about the make-up of his side before this game, Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson claimed “shape is for pundits” and suggested it is often “irrelevant”.
The former St Mirren boss preferred to focus on having the ball and what they do with it, but the visitors managed to have very little of it.
They had just over 33% possession, won less than half of their duels and only 28 per cent of aerial duels. They had nine shots, Celtic had 27. They had 12 touches in the opposition box, Celtic had 40.
Robinson made four changes at half-time but the second period was much the same as the first – four shots, 35 per cent possession, and Aberdeen won just three of their 10 tackles.
They will need a much improved performance when fellow strugglers Kilmarnock visit at the weekend.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill: “We played very well. We seemed to control the game for the most part and I thought the first goal was a big moment because the game was still in the balance.
“Overall I’m just delighted with the win, the goals we scored and pretty pleased with the display.”
Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson: “It’s been a tough few days. I thought we lacked belief in the first half, we were way too passive for the first goal and we got punished by how clinical Celtic were.
“We hit the crossbar at 2-0 which could change the game, they go up the other end and we make a mistake and the game is effectively over.”
Celtic sign five in one day after Van den Berg & Lotomba arrive
Charlotte Cohen & Colin Moffat
BBC Sport Scotland
Published
2 September 2026
Celtic have recruited five players in one day to bolster their squad before Wednesday’s Europa League signing deadline.
The arrivals of teenage Dutch midfielder Joel van den Berg on a four-year deal from PSV Eindhoven and the loan signing of Swiss right-back Jordan Lotomba from Feyenoord were announced after the Scottish Premiership win over Aberdeen.
Earlier in the day, Celtic confirmed loan deals for former England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and teenage Chelsea duo Shumaira Mheuka and Landon Emenalo.
The Scottish transfer window closes on Thursday (17:00 BST) but for players to be eligible for continental competition, they needed to be registered on Wednesday.
Lotomba, who made 28 appearances for Feyenoord last term, joins on a temporary deal until the end of the season.
Van den Berg signed a four-year deal with the option of a further year and was at Celtic Park for the 3-0 win over Aberdeen.
Johnstone, 33, arrives from Wolverhampton Wanderers and will provide competition for Finland international Viljami Sinisalo.
Striker Mheuka, 18, has extended his contract at Chelsea until 2031, having made nine outings for the London club.
Four of those came in the 2024-25 Conference League, including his only start. Last season, he captained the Chelsea Under-21 side, scoring 18 goals in 19 games.
Emenalo, 18, also joins on loan from the London club and will offer cover for Kieran Tierney at left-back.
He made 14 Premier League two appearances for Chelsea’s Under-21 team last season and set up three goals in those outings.
Johnstone ready to embrace Celtic pressure
Johnstone, who won the last of his four England caps in 2023, made 17 appearances last season but lost his starting place at relegated Wolves in December and has not played since an FA Cup loss to Liverpool in early March.
“I’m buzzing to be here and I’m excited to get going,” said the goalkeeper, who began his career at Manchester United and has had spells at Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace.
“I didn’t need convincing by anyone, but Joe Hart rang me the other day just to reiterate what a place this is, what a great group of lads and how the fans are unbelievable.
“You hear about the size of the club, but just being here for a day, you notice how big the club is. And the pressure to win, which is what I like – pressure to win, pressure to perform and we all want to win trophies.”
Kasper Schmeichel had been first choice at Celtic since the summer of 2024, but played his last game in February and subsequently retired because of a shoulder injury.
Manager Martin O’Neill said Johnstone would be “a very good addition” and that Mheuka has “great quality”.
O’Neill also said new left-back Emenalo “has many attributes which I think can benefit us”, adding he is “very quick on the ball and, while he can defend, he certainly gets up the pitch into attacking positions too.”
Related topics
Camilo Durán & Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Post-match reaction
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2026/september/02/camilo-dur-n—alex-oxlade-chamberlain–post-match-reaction/
First Team
By Matthew Campbell
Share
02 Sep 2026, 10:29 pm
It was a comfortable night at home for Celtic against Aberdeen this evening (Wednesday, September 2) with three first-half goals securing all three points.
Camilo Durán kick-started the scoring with a superb top-corner finish from the edge of the box early in the match, his sixth goal since joining the club in the summer.
The Celts were in total control throughout the match, due in no small part to the performance of the Hoops’ midfield, where Callum McGregor was joined by Benjamin Nygren and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Man of the Match, Camilo Durán, after tonight’s victory to speak to CelticPlayer and reflect on a good performance and a good win for Celtic.
“I think we took our chances.” Oxlade-Chamberlain said. “This man (Durán) started us off very nicely with a great goal.
“I think in the first half we played some good stuff, maybe there were a few moments where we could have been better off the ball.
“In the second half we came out and saw the game out. I think the boys really controlled the game in the second half.”
Camilo Durán added: “First of all, congratulations to the team. We got the result that we wanted and now we need to continue to work hard and keep winning.”
Three goals and three points for the Hoops at Paradise
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2026/september/02/three-goals-and-three-points-for-the-hoops-at-paradise/
First Team
By Matthew Campbell
Share
02 Sep 2026, 9:48 pm
Scottish Premiership
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Celtic Park
CELTIC…3
(Duran 14, Nygren 34, Yang 45+1)
ABERDEEN…0
Celtic picked up another three Premiership points this evening with a comfortable 3-0 win against Aberdeen at Celtic Park, as Camilo Durán, Benjamin Nygren and Yang all found the back of the net in the first half to put the game beyond the visitors.
With less than 15 minutes played, Camilo Durán fired Celtic into the lead with a finish straight out of the top drawer to claim his sixth goal for Celtic.
Benjamin Nygren picked the Colombian out on the edge of the box, and Durán needed no invitation to have a strike at goal as he thundered a shot in to the top corner of the net to make it 1-0.
Durán found himself with a good chance to double Celtic’s lead and grab his second of the night with just over 20 minutes gone when Benjamin Nygren slipped a clever pass through to him on the edge of the area, but this time the Aberdeen keeper was equal to the effort.
In the opening half-hour of the match, the ball belonged almost exclusively to Celtic, with Yang and Haissem Hassan providing a threat on either wing. Both men almost linked up to make it 2-0, but Hassan’s effort from close range was blocked before it could trouble the goalkeeper.
With 30 minutes on the clock, Nesta Guinness-Walker hit the target for the visitors from distance, but Viljami Sinisalo was equal to it and was able to make the save comfortably.
In the 34th minute, Celtic’s lead was doubled by Benjamin Nygren, who extended his brilliant record of having scored against Aberdeen every time he has played against them.
Haissem Hassan whipped a dangerous cross into the box which Camilo Durán tried to control. Although he was unable to make contact, the Colombian’s presence caused confusion for the Dons’ defence and a deflection carried the ball straight to Nygren, who coolly finished to make it 2-0.
The visitors came close to pulling a goal back in stoppage time at the end of the half when Gavin Molloy rattled the crossbar with a header after a well-taken corner, and to add insult to injury for the visitors, from that miss the Hoops broke forward at pace and bagged a third goal.
Camilo Durán raced down the right wing in pursuit of the ball and sent a good pass towards Yang who was composed as he found the bottom corner and made it 3-0 just before half time.
66%
Possession
34%
27
Shots
9
12
Shots On Target
2
15
Corners
5
10
Fouls
7
1
0
Cards
1
0
Celtic began the second half with the same intensity they had shown in the opening 45 minutes, and just moments after the restart Haissem Hassan sent a good effort towards goal from distance, but the ball rose just over the bar.
The visitors, despite the game being beyond them, continued to hunt for some sort of route back in to the game and just before the hour mark Conor Ronan crossed a good ball towards the back post, but Colby Donovan was on hand to head the danger clear.
Soon after, Martin O’Neill made his first changes of the evening, bringing Benjamin Nygren and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain off for Mika Baur and Oliver Sørensen, with the latter making his Celtic debut after joining the club yesterday.
There was another debut for the Hoops this evening, with Shumaira Mhueka coming on for his first appearance. James Forrest and Sebastian Tounekti were also brought on, with Camilo Durán, Yang and Haissem Hassan all coming off.
Mhueka, who only joined Celtic on loan from Chelsea today, tested the keeper just moments after coming on, drawing a good save from Marius Müller after showing some quick feet to open up an opportunity.
With five minutes to go, Mika Baur almost found the bottom corner from 30 yards out, firing a low shot to the Aberdeen keeper’s right, which Müller done well to keep out considering the torrential rain that was battering Celtic Park.
James Forrest went close to extending his incredible scoring run to 18 consecutive seasons near the end of the match with a powerful effort from close range, but once again the visitors’ keeper was on hand to make the save.
Celtic: Sinisalo, Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Scales, McGregor, Haissem Hassan (Tounekti 76′), Nygren (Baur 63′), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Sørensen 63′), Hyunjun Yang (Forrest 74′), Durán (Mheuka 75′)
Subs: McCowan, Tounekti, Sørensen, Baur, Johnstone, Mheuka, Murray, Forrest, Ralston
Aberdeen: Müller, Cadden, Mayo, Knoester, Molloy (Milne 82′), Guinness-Walker, Armstrong, Aremu (Ronan 45′), Briedl (Olusanya 45′), Nisbet (Smith 45′), Mouloua (Ntelo 45′)
Subs: Devlin, Yogane, Smith, Suman, Olusanya, Milne, Ronan, Ntelo, Marshall
Celtic discover a gift from the gods in front of Parkhead royalty amid worrying signs at Aberdeen
Alan Pattullo
By Alan Pattullo
Chief Football Writer
Comment
Published 2nd Sep 2026, 22:34 BST
It was hard to know what to expect at Celtic Park given all the transfer activity though Kenny Dalglish’s appearance was definitely a pleasant surprise. The one-time king of this parish watched Camilo Duran score an opener that might have come from his own back catalogue of goals.
Benjamin Nygren struck a second 20 minutes later, set up by a sensational flick from Duran. Yang Hyun-jun added a third on the stroke of half time on the counter-attack after a rare moment of Aberdeen threat. Gavin Malloy bashed a header off the crossbar from a corner and before anyone knew it—Aberdeen defenders included—the ball was in the back of the net at the other end. Who played Yang in? Duran of course.
Three new signings took their place on the bench for the hosts, with on-loan Parma midfielder Oliver Sorensen making an appearance after 64 minutes. Teenage Chelsea striker Shim Mheuka, another on loan capture, was introduced ten minutes later and watched Aberdeen keeper Marius Muller deny him a debut goal moments later with a good save low to his right.
Although heavy rain was falling, the fact Celtic were already leading 3-0 meant these were very comfortable circumstances in which to make a bow. The ball zipped around the slick surface. While Aberdeen made more of a game of it in the second half, with half-time sub Lewis Smith proving lively, the points were already safe for Celtic. Martin O’Neill could have shot off and signed some more players.
Joel van den Berg was among the players who disembarked the team bus before kick-off having sealed his move from PSV. The Dutch teenager and his fellow newcomers will need to go some to match the impact Duran has managed in his short time so far at Celtic. The Colombian is proving a gift from the gods.
Dalglish, who has recently undergone treatment for cancer, can only have been impressed. The 75-year-old Celtic and Liverpool hero was interviewed on the pitch before kick off and spoke of the enduring relationship between his former clubs while also reminiscing about scoring a penalty in his first Old Firm clash in 1971 having been instructed by Billy McNeill to take it.
Parkhead bathed in these memories. Albeit Aberdeen fans were less minded to indulge such nostalgia. They began chanting their songs midway through the interview with the knight of the realm, though it was really the only time they were heard. Stephen Robinson’s decision to make four changes at half time – his starting XI had already featured five changes from Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at home against Rangers – probably said it all. Things are not quite clicking at Pittodrie.
Perhaps the withdrawals, including striker Kevin Nisbet, were made with an eye on Sunday’s now critical home match against struggling Kilmarnock. Ayeb Mouloua, the Moroccan forward, was another who stayed inside at half time. Before Molloy’s crossbar-hitting effort, Mouloua had come closest to scoring for Aberdeen with a header from Nesta Guinness-Walker that went narrowly wide. Otherwise, it was pretty much all Celtic, and it was increasingly hard to fathom any kind of game plan from Aberdeen. No wonder Robinson dismissed a question on the subject before kick-off during a radio interview. “Shape is for pundits,” he said.
The slick surface did make things difficult at times. Passes had to be controlled accordingly. But once Celtic found their rhythm, there was only going to be one winner. Duran got things underway with the first after 15 minutes following a flowing move down the left. Nygren passed inside and Duran evaded the returning Mats Knoester with a little shimmy that might have been learned from Dalglish before lifting an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box off the crossbar and into the net.
The Colombian should have scored a second shortly afterwards but was too precise with his finish after another Nygren lay-off, allowing Muller to smother the ball well.
Celtic players were getting in the way of each other – Nygren blocked an effort from his own teammate, Colby Donovan. Nobody was sulking though. After 35 minutes Haissem Hassan crossed for Duran, who somehow engineered a lay-off for Nygren despite facing the wrong way. The Swede did the rest, finishing inside Marius Muller’s near post from the edge of the box.
It was already looking like a long night for Aberdeen. Confirmation of this arrived when Celtic scored a third in additional time at the end of the first half after a corner at the other end. Molloy’s header smacked off the bar and the home side broke up field like the cavalry before Yang settled things with a neat finish following Duran’s pass into his path.