ABERDEEN 6 LIVINGSTON 2 Saturday 24 January 2026 SPFL Premiership Pittodrie Stadium Attendance: 17,794 Referee: Ross Hardie
An afternoon that had everything at Pittodrie, including six goals for the Dons, VAR controversy, and a red card for each side – it was enough to make everybody forget the pouring rain and the freezing wind.
Having come through in the Scottish Cup with a 1-0 win over Raith Rovers last Sunday, there were four changes to the Aberdeen starting XI with Leighton Clarkson and Nicolas Milanovic on the bench and Dante Polvara and Emmanuel Gyamfi missing from the matchday squad. Into the side came Graeme Shinnie, Kenan Bilalovic, Mats Knoester and, making his first senior start, Mitchel Frame. Added to the substitutes were Alexander Jensen and new signing Toyosi Olusanya.
After conceding a late goal to draw 1-1 at home to St. Mirren on Tuesday night, Livingston made two changes with Stevie May and Samson Lawal replacing Scott Arfield and Cristian Montano.
A strong wind and swirling rain, adding to a soft pitch that has been hammered by the elements, made the conditions tough as the game kicked off. Topi Keskinen won a free-kick on the left side of the penalty area in the sixth minute, Lyall Cameron bending the ball through the box but wide of the far post. A minute later, Keskinen had a shot from just inside the area deflected wide of the target.
The first attempt at the corner from Cameron was cleared behind but at the second attempt, his delivery was flicked by Knoester around the penalty spot. It reached Bilalovic coming in at the back, and he was able to get it under control and bundle the ball over the line for 1-0 Aberdeen after nine minutes.
It looked like the lead had been doubled seven minutes later, Kevin Nisbet on the mark. Stuart Armstrong played a lovely ball over the Livingston defence from 30 yards out, Nisbet getting beyond the defence. He controlled the pass neatly and then stabbed the ball past Prior. A VAR check for offside followed and the referee was sent to the monitor, because it wasn’t possible to draw the necessary lines on the screen. The referee then called both captains over to explain his decision, before chalking the goal off.
The Livi goalkeeper went down on 23 minutes, his entire team shuffling over to the dugouts to get some instruction from their manager while he received treatment.
It bore fruit on 28 as Livi were level. A free-kick from halfway from May was headed back across goal, Frame trying to hook it clear but only getting it as far as McLennan on the edge of the area. His shot was deflected by Milne and the ball fell kindly for Susoho who produced a neat finish into the bottom corner.
It was 2-1 to Livi three minutes later, from a similar goal. Another deep free-kick from May reached McLennan, who caught the ball awkwardly on the volley, firing back across goal. Dimitar Mitov saved at full stretch away to his left, but his parry dropped perfectly into Muirhead’s path to tuck the ball away.
The Dons finally got themselves going again in the 40th minute, Bilalovic drifting inside before bending a fine shot just wide of goal from 22 yards out. Tait was booked a minute later for hacking Nicky Devlin down 30 yards out. Knoester was carded for dissent a few moments later after being penalised for a challenge on Susoho. Devlin completed a swift hat-trick of cards when he was booked for fouling McLennan.
Seven minutes were added to the half, and in the fourth of them, Nisbet finally had his goal. Frame exchanged passes with Armstrong 40 yards out, accelerated onto the pass and produced a glorious curling cross into the six-yard box that was screaming for a finishing touch. Racing in from deep, Nisbet applied it, at full stretch.
There was still time to produce a carbon copy of the goal to make it 3-2 Aberdeen. Again it was down the left, Frame feeding Keskinen who produced a virtually identical cross, Nisbet on the spot to do the necessary.
HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 3 LIVINGSTON 2
Zimmerman replaced Smith at the break for Livingston as the rain lashed down harder and the wind blew stronger.
Armstrong was next to thread a cross into the Livi six-yard box in the 53rd minute, but this time, there were no takers. Two minutes later there were more changes from the visitors, Tait and Lawal off, Danso and Fati on. Fati made a quick impression hoisting a high cross to the back post, Mitov dealing with Muirhead’s header. Keskinen was booked for a minor challenge on 58. McLennan followed him in 30 seconds later for pulling back Shinnie.
A Cameron corner into the near post gave Knoester a chance of a diving header on 62, but his effort went wide. Almost immediately, Bilalovic and Devlin were replaced by Milanovic and Jensen.
Livingston boss David Martindale was shown the red card and retreated to the stands in the 64th minute, as the visitors were replacing Muirhead with Bokila.
A brawl broke out in the 69th minute, Bokila and Milne seemingly the instigators, jostling on the halfway line, both with arms raised and pushing each other around the shoulders. Plenty of players from both sides then surrounded them, before Milne and Bokila were sent off, the two of them still going at it on their way to the tunnel. Shinnie was yellow carded too, presumably for dissent. In the aftermath, Sivert Heltne Nilsen came on for Cameron and went to centre-half.
He did a good impression of playing centre-forward in the 75th minute, popping up at the back post to nod in a lovely curling corner from Armstrong. After the VAR check, the goal stood, 4-2 to the Dons. Tamm replaced McLennan as we waited to restart the game.
Milanovic could have sealed it in the 80th minute as Aberdeen broke away quickly from a Livingston corner. Shinnie’s clearing header found Keskinen who galloped forward and then released Milanovic. Coming into the box, he didn’t get enough on his shot and it was an easy save for Prior.
Nisbet and Armstrong made way for new boy Olusanya and Leighton Clarkson in the 81st minute.
It was 5-2 for Aberdeen in the 85th minute, Keskinen on target this time. Collecting a pass from Shinnie and drifting inside from the left touchline, he took advantage of the space created by Olusanya’s run to advance to the D and club a shot goalwards, a deflection helping it on the way past Prior.
It might have been six in the last minute of normal time, Keskinen providing a fine cut-back into the Livi box, but unfortunately it was fractionally behind the advancing red shirts.
It was six in the 92nd minute, Keskinen helping himself to a second. Picking up a loose ball some 40 yards out as Olusanya tangled with a defender, he drive forward into the box, shimmied past McGowan and produced a precise finish, clipping it over Prior and into the far corner.
Aberdeen: Mitov, Devlin (Jensen 63), Knoester, Milne, Frame, Shinnie, Cameron (Heltne Nilsen 72), Armstrong (Clarkson 81), Keskinen, Bilalovic (Milanovic 63), Nisbet (Olusanya 81).
Subs not used: Vitols, Aouchiche, Lobban, Lazetic.
Goals: Bilalovic (9), Nisbet (45+4, 45+8), Heltne Nilsen (75), Keskinen (85, 90+2)
Sent off: Milne
Booked: Knoester, Devlin, Keskinen, Shinnie
Livingston: Prior, Brenet, Finlayson, McGowan, Lawal (Fati 55), Susoho, Tait (Danso 55), L.Smith (Zimmerman 46), May, McLennan (Tamm 76), Muirhead (Bokila 65).
Subs not used: J. Smith, Kerr, Pittman, Kabongolo.
Goals: Susoho (28), Muirhead (31)
Sent off: Bokila
Booked: Tait, McLennan
