ABERDEEN 1 CELTIC 2 Wednesday 4 March 2026 SPFL Premiership Pittodrie Attendance: 17,592 Referee: Nick Walsh
Following Saturday’s narrow defeat at Tynecastle, Aberdeen made four changes with Graeme Shinnie, Liam Morrison and Topi Keskinen on the bench and Nicky Devlin out injured. Into the side came Alexander Jensen, Stuart Armstrong, Mitchel Frame and Sivert Heltne Nilsen, with Kevin Nisbet, making his 50th start for the Dons, skippering the side.
There were five changes for Celtic who drew 2-2 at Ibrox on Sunday. Hatate, McCowan, Tounekti, Arthur and Cvancara replaced Nygren, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Murray, Adamu and Maeda.
It was a quick start from the visitors and they were a goal up inside five minutes. McCowan’s corner from the left looked poor but Scales manufactured a clever overhead kick to put the ball into the six yard area where Tierney was left standing all alone to jab into the net. It was all Celtic in the early stages, and McGregor tested Dimitar Mitov with a low shot from 25 yards, the goalkeeper well behind it in the tenth minute.
The Dons gradually began to edge into Celtic territory at last, and on 18 minutes, after a goalmouth scramble, Scales kicked the back of Toyosi Olusanya’s leg in the box, and a penalty was duly given. Sinisalo went hopping about on his line, but it was to no avail as Nisbet sent the Celtic goalkeeper the wrong way, and the Dons were level.
Suddenly there was some real zip about Aberdeen’s play going forward, Jensen, Lyall Cameron and Olusanya combining well down the right before Scales cleared. Heltne Nilsen was then booked after 26 minutes for pulling down Cvancara.
A touch like concrete from Arthur gave Cameron the opportunity to release Armstrong down the right, his clipped cross drifting just wide of the far post on the half hour. After that rocky opening 15 minutes, the Dons were looking far better now, at both ends of the pitch.
Tierney needed treatment after Olusanya accidentally trod on the Celtic man’s ankle after 41 minutes, the Aberdeen man harshly cautioned. the Celtic man recovered and smashed a shot at goal 30 seconds later, a determined Dons rear-guard blocking it away.
HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 CELTIC 1
A brilliant start to the second half saw the Dons keeping possession for the first two minutes, culminating in Frame putting in a dangerous cross. Nisbet rise the highest and his header looked goal bound until Sinisalo produced a super save at full stretch to tip it over the bar. Celtic responded with a McCowan corner on 52 that found Scales. He was given too much room to get his head on the ball, thankfully glancing it wide of goal.
Milne was very nearly the hero after 58 minutes, a lovely move down the right with Armstrong and Cameron prominent ended with a ball into Milne 25 yards out. His first time shot arced across goal but bent just wide of the far post. Aberdeen were the better side at this stage.
A double change for Celtic followed on 61, with Cvancara and McCowan replaced by Maeda and Nygren. Aberdeen did likewise with Heltne Nilsen and Olusanya making way for Morrison and Bilalovic. Forrest and Saracchi came on for Tierney and Yang in the 65th minute.
The Celtic changes did the trick, Nygren slotting in on 67 after a flowing move. He looked as if he might have been offside as Araujo played the ball into him, Maeda a further three yards forward, but VAR allowed the goal to stand. Graeme Shinnie came on for Armstrong in the aftermath.
Maeda should have doubled the lead on 72. Milne slipped 25 yards out to leave Maeda in on goal but advancing towards Mitov, he sliced his shot way wide of the target.
Forrest became the first Celtic man to be booked after 76 minutes for hacking Frame down as he tried to start a counter-attack. The Dons made their last changes with Dylan Lobban and Topi Keskinen thrown in to the fray in place of Milne and Jensen in the 80thminute.
The Dons roused themselves for a final assault in the last five minutes, pushing Celtic back, but struggling to create that crucial chance. The visitors replaced Araujo with Donovan in the 87th minute. Hatate was booked for pulling down Bilalovic two minutes later.
A Keskinen cross in the 91st minute caused concern in the Celtic defence, Saracchi clearing at full stretch. There was some head tennis at the corner, and Cameron certainly could have gone down under a challenge from Hatate, but he chose to try to ride it but could only put the ball out of play. A further corner followed in the 95th minute, but Cameron’s ball was cleared all too easily, the final chance gone. Aberdeen: Mitov, Jensen (Lobban 80), Milne (Keskinen 80), Molloy, Heltne Nilsen (Morrison 62), Frame, Geiger (Shinnie 68), Armstrong, Cameron, Olusanya (Bilalovic 62), Nisbet. Subs not used: Vitols, Lazetic, Kjartansson, Gyamfi. Goal: Nisbet (20 (pen)) Booked: Heltne Nilsen, Olusanya Celtic: Sinisalo, Araujo (Donovan 87), Arthur, Scales, Tierney (Saracchi 65), Hatate, McGregor, McCowan (Nygren 61), Yang (Forrest 65), Tounekti, Cvancara (Maeda 61). Subs not used: Doohan, Adamu, Oxlade-Chamberlain. Goals: Tierney (5), Nygren (67) Booked: Forrest, Hatate
