ABERDEEN 0 CELTIC 1
William Hill Premiership
Wednesday 4th December 2024
Pittodrie
Ref: Don Robertson
Attendance: 18043
An absorbing encounter between the top two sides at Pittodrie was ultimately settled by a late Hatate goal for Celtic after there had been nothing to separate the teams for long stretches of the game played in dreadful conditions.
There were six changes for Aberdeen after the 1-1 draw at Tynecastle on Sunday, Dimi Mitov missing with injury, Angus MacDonald, Ante Palaversa, Shayden Morris, Ester Sokler and Leighton Clarkson all starting from the bench. Into the team came Ross Doohan, Graeme Shinnie, Kevin Nisbet, Duk, Topi Keskinen and Slobodan Rubezic, playing his 50th game for the Dons. Added to the bench was goalkeeper Tom Ritchie.
Celtic beat Ross County 5-0 on Saturday and made four changes with Liam Scales, Luke McCowan, James Forrest and Adam Idah all on the bench, replaced by Auston Trusty, Reo Hatate, Kyogo and Nicolas Kuhn.
It was a raw night in the Granite City, the rain lashing down and the wind howling as the game kicked off, the Dons immediately setting up camp in the Celtic half. Two minutes in though, and there was a horrible collision in the Dons penalty area as Kyogo chased a long ball. Doohan came out to meet him but after he collected the ball, Kyogo’s momentum was unstoppable and his knee went crunching into Doohan’s face. The physios were in action and giving him all the necessary checks, notably for concussion, before he could carry on.
Aberdeen were causing problems on 11 minutes, Sivert Heltne Nilsen’s raking pass releasing Duk down the right. Cutting inside, he got off a hard, low drive that Schemichel saved with his feet. Nisbet might have done better with the rebound, but he put his first time shot wide of the target. It was certainly not an easy chance.
It was Duk again on 18 minutes, a 25 yard free-kick that beat the wall but went straight into the waiting arms of Schmeichel. Nisbet was in the book for a late challenge on Valle six minutes later. Valle followed him in a few minutes later for dragging Duk to the floor as he chased a through ball. Duk needed treatment but was ok to carry on. Shinnie joined the party with a booking on 41.
Celtic were a fraction away from the opener a minute later, Johnston getting up to head a Bernardo corner, Jamie McGrath on the post able to deflect it behind for another corner. Celtic had the ball in the net from that second flag kick, but it was rightly disallowed for Maeda’s push on Doohan as the ball came in.
Another Celtic corner caused havoc two minutes into added time, Hatate getting a flicked header at the near post that took the ball across goal but just wide of the far post with Johnston trying to get on the end of it. Heltne Nilsen was booked moments later for a foul on Hatate.
HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 0 CELTIC 0
Taylor replaced Valle for the visitors at the interval.
Celtic had the first shot in anger in the second half on 55 minutes, the ball falling to Kuhn 20 yards out on the corner of the box, his curling shot just a couple of feet too high.
Nisbet and Duk were replaced by Jimmy Thelin on 59 minutes, Sokler and Morris coming on in their stead. Kyogo and Bernardo came off on 66, McCowan and Idah replacing them.
A string of chances came Celtic’s way on 70 following some slick passing football, the Dons defence making a couple of big blocks from goalbound shots but as the ball spun away to Hatate, his drive at goal looked set for the net until Doohan got down low to his right to scoop the ball away, a fine save.
Clarkson and Vicente Besuijen were the next in the flurry of changes, replacing McGrath and Keskinen after 72 minutes.
Doohan was in impressive action again on 75 minutes, McCowan picking out Idah with a cross to the back post. His powerful header looked set to sneak inside the post, but Doohan was across at full stretch to claw the ball away, another excellent save. Forrest replaced Maeda on 76.
The Dons were on the break a minute later, Morris motoring upfield and then picking out the run of Besuijen. He played a pass across the face into Clarkson and though the ball looked to be sitting up nicely for him 20 yards out, he pulled his effort wide of the goal.
Celtic did find their way through the Dons after 78 minutes, Hatate running onto a chipped ball from Taylor into the box. Hatate chested the ball down neatly and produced a clever finish across Doohan and into the far corner to grab the lead.
Dante Polvara made his first appearance of the season, returning from injury in the 83rd minute, James McGarry the man replaced, Shinnie going to left-back.
Polvara looked to have set up the equaliser on 85, getting down the left and pulling back a dangerous ball into the box. Trusty stopped it but only served to tee up Sokler but from eight yards out, his rising shot flashed over the bar and into the RDS.
Hatate made way for Engels in the 88th minute. The Dons huffed and puffed from there, a couple of crosses from the left coming close to finding a red shirt but ultimately, there was no way back.
ABERDEEN: Doohan, Devlin, Molloy, Rubezic, McGarry (Polvara 83), Shinnie, Heltne Nilsen, Keskinen (Besuijen 72), McGrath (Clarkson 72), Duk (Morris 59), Nisbet (Sokler 59).
Subs not used: Ritchie, Palaversa, MacDonald, Milne.
BOOKED: Nisbet, Shinnie, Heltne Nilsen
CELTIC: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Valle (Taylor 46), Hatate (Engels 88), McGregor, Bernardo (McCowan 66), Kuhn, Kyogo (Idah 66), Maeda (Forrest 76).
Subs not used: Sinisalo, Scales, Yang, Ralston.
GOAL: Hatate (78)
BOOKED: Valle
