That’s it for today’s blog; I’ll leave you with a match report from Pittodrie. Thanks for your company - bye!
Still want more? Bet you do.
Full time: Aberdeen 1-2 Celtic
Peep peep! Celtic go 13 points clear with a seriously hard-fought win at a gusty Pittodrie. It’s harsh on Aberdeen, who were on the front foot for most of the game, but Celtic showed their superior class with an excellent winning goal from Kristoffer Ajer. In the circumstances it’s a quite brilliant win for Celtic, the sort that makes a team think they are going to be champions.
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90+1 min Three minutes of added time.
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90+1 min Although the scoreline is flattering, Celtic have been much better since Neil Lennon switched to a back four early in the second half.
90 min That second goal has flattened Aberdeen, who are struggling to rouse themselves to push for an equaliser. Celtic have had their best spell of the match since going ahead.
87 min: What a miss from Edouard! That should have been a third for Celtic. Forrest’s cross came to Edouard in the six-yard box; he missed his first attempt at a shot and then hoofed his second straight at the feet of Lewis, who had already dived in an attempt to block the first shot that Edouard muffed. All Edouard had to do was lift the ball over the keeper’s legs.
86 min Bitton is booked for an off-the-ball shove on Cosgrove.
84 min I should also give credit to Odsonne Edouard, who started the move for the goal with a superb bit of control and a backheel to Callum McGregor.
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83 min Sam Cosgrove replaces Funso Ojo for Aberdeen.
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It’s been such a difficult afternoon for Celtic, but they won’t care if the score stays like this. The goal was made by Forrest, who scurried infield from the left and played an excellent angled pass to find Ajer in space on the right side of the area. He controlled the ball, looked up and sidefooted an emphatic shot over the left shoulder of the outrushing Lewis. That was a belting finish.
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GOAL! Aberdeen 1-2 Celtic (Ajer 81)
Celtic have mugged Aberdeen!
79 min Tom Rogic replaces Olivier Ntcham.
78 min Main was right behind McKenna, and would have had a much easier chance. McKenna didn’t realise.
77 min McGinn’s inswinging cross from the left is headed on at the near post by Considine, but McKenna can’t get any power in his header at goal and Forster makes an easy save.
75 min For the umpteenth time this afternoon, Jullienm complains after being manhandled by Main. Aberdeen win a corner, which is punched away by Forster.
74 min: Fine save by Lewis! Celtic almost take the lead against the run of play. The left-back Hayes plays a one-two with Edouard, scurries into the area and smacks a shot that is well blocked by the outrushing Lewis. He could have cut it back to the unmarked Ntcham but only had eyes for a goal against his old club.
73 min It’s been a really unpleasant afternoon for the Celtic defenders, who have been buffetted by the front pair of Curtis Main and Storm Dennis.
71 min McGinn’s brilliant cross is headed up in the air by Bitton in his own six-yard box. It swirls around and is eventually shovelled behind, less than convincingly, by Forster.
70 min If it stays like this, Celtic will be 11 points clear of Rangers having played two games more. Rangers play at home to Livingston at 3pm.
69 min The stretching Jullien makes a terrific tackle on McGinn in his own penalty area.
67 min An Aberdeen change: Craig Bryson replaces Matty Kennedy.
67 min To the great delight of the Aberdeen fans, an abysmal cross from Hayes goes straight out of play.
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65 min Celtic have had a bit more of the ball since bringing on Christie, though they still look miles off their exhilarating best.
64 min “Hard to see both Edouard and Griffiths not scoring for a second successive match,” says Simon McMahon. “Mind you, if it can happen to Lawrence Shankland…”
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63 min Jullien is booked for a tackle from behind on Main. He got the ball but the referee decided he went through Main to get to it.
61 min Brown and Main are starting to rub each other up the wrong way, which could make the next few minutes particularly entertaining.
59 min Celtic have switched to the old 4-3-3 formation, with Ajer at right-back, Christie wide right and Forrest on the left.
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58 min Celtic make an early change, with Leigh Griffiths replaced by Ryan Christie. Griffiths has had a frustrating afternoon.
56 min Main’s harmless long-range shot is comfortably held by Forster. For all Aberdeen’s superiority, he hasn’t had a huge amount of work to do.
53 min Scott Brown maintains his popularity levels at Pittodrie by running into McGinn and sending him to the floor.
51 min After a sustained spell of Aberdeen pressure, Bitton does well to usher Kennedy out of play. But Celtic are really struggling to get on the ball.
49 min Aberdeen continue to harass Celtic, with and without the ball. They’ve been terrific today.
46 min Peep peep! Aberdeen begin the second half.
Half-time reading
Half time: Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic
Peep peep! Celtic’s winning run is under threat. They haven’t settled at a windy Pittodrie, and Aberdeen fully deserved Ash Taylor’s emphatic equaliser. Callum McGregor gave Celtic an early lead, but the Aberdeen keeper Joe Lewis has had the square root of bugger all to do since then. See you in 15 minutes for the second half.
45 min Ash Taylor is booked for taking a shortcut through the back of Edouard. Having seen the replay, that was a fair enough challenge from Jullien - he leaned in with his arm rather than using his hands to push Main out of the way.
45 min Main goes over in the area after a shove from behind by Jullien. No penalty is given, but that looked clumsy at best.
44 min Griffiths gives away a silly free-kick and then gets himself booked for dissent.
42 min A free-kick is headed away as far as McGinn, 25 yards from goal. He launches into a volley but it’s miles off target and hits one of his teammates before going behind.
39 min McLennan is booked for diving in the Celtic area. And quite right too; it was a risible bit of simulation.
38 min A stinging long-range shot from Ojo is beaten away by Forster. It was a comfortable enough save, and he probably would have tried to catch it but for the wind.
37 min Bitton shoots from 25 yards. Goalkick to Aberdeen.
36 min Some lovely sleight of shoulder from Forrest, who beats Kennedy without touching the ball and then clips a dangerous ball that bounces right across the six-yard line.
35 min Ntcham flicks a dangerous through pass towards Griffiths, who is beaten to the ball by McKenna. Good defending.
33 min Nothing comes of the corner. Not a thing.
32 min A snapvolley from Main hits Jullien and goes behind for a corner. This is an excellent spell for Aberdeen.
32 min ... nowt happens.
31 min McGinn is fouled on the left wing by Forrest. Ferguson wanders over to take the free-kick. From which...
29 min Celtic have been nowhere near their best so far. I don’t know whether it’s the conditions or just one of those first half hours.
It was a really good finish from the big centre-half Ash Taylor. A nothing cross from the right somehow bounced through to him in space at the far post. He took the ball down on the chest and rifled a half-volley past Forster from 10 yards.
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GOAL! Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic (Taylor 27)
I told you Aberdeen didn’t look like scoring!
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25 min Former Aberdeen player Jonny Hayes replaces Greg Taylor, and is booed onto the field.
24 min There’s a break in play while Greg Taylor receives treatment. He’s struggling and is going to come off.
23 min As if to prove the point, Main shoots miles over the bar from distance.
22 min Main, Aberdeen’s lone striker, is doing a lot of grunt work in the channels, and has linked play neatly as well. There’s a lot to like about Aberdeen, but they don’t really look like scoring.
20 min A decent cross from Ferguson flashes right across the Celtic area. Aberdeen have played some nice stuff but, as so often this season, are lacking penetration.
19 min “Very important question,” says Jim Crane. “Where would you place Scott Brown in the pantheon of modern sporting irritants (the Nause Scale, if you will)? I always feel he’d have fit in well with the turn of the century Australian Test team; part of a superior and dominant side, but constantly on the wind-up anyway because (‘Scorpion and Frog’-like) it’s just in his nature.”
I’m not sure where he fits on the scale, but I can’t get enough of his comedy masculinity. He’s the gift that keeps on niggling.
15 min The scoreline is a bit harsh on Aberdeen, who have been the better team. Ferguson plays a one-two with Main and is flattened by Jullien, just outside the area on the right. McGinn’s free-kick drifts harmlessly across the penalty box.
12 min Aberdeen were unhappy that Griffiths eased McKenna off the ball in the build up to the goal. It was a subjective decision that could have gone either way, although it would have been a softish free-kick.
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11 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Bonus Scottish football, and VAR- free, too. You’re welcome!”
Griffiths surged down the inside-left channel and squared the ball to Edouard in the area. He teed up Forrest, whose shot was slapped away by the diving Lewis. The rebound fell perfectly for McGregor, who steered it into the net with not inconsiderable glee.
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GOAL! Aberdeen 0-1 Celtic (McGregor 10)
Celtic pinch the lead with their first decent attack!
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7 min Aberdeen are starting to cause a few problems with crosses, particularly from the right. But the match hasn’t really settled down.
5 min It’s been a scruffy start, with both teams trying to get used to the swirling wind.
2 min Logan’s right-wing cross bounces around the Celtic area for a while before Considine heads off target from the edge of the area. Celtic break quickly and Ntcham drives well wide from 20 yards.
1 min Peep peep! Celtic kick off from left to right.
Stormwatch It’s very windy at Pittodrie; it’s also sunny and dry. Scott Brown has his top on.
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The Celts are here! 🍀
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 16, 2020
🔜 #ABECEL #SPFL pic.twitter.com/n1PAmamCBo
Team news
Aberdeen (4-1-4-1) Lewis; Logan, Taylor, McKenna, Considine; Ojo; McLennan, Ferguson, McGinn, Kennedy; Main.
Substitutes: Cerny, Hernandez, Campbell, McGeouch, Bryson, Anderson, Cosgrove
Celtic (3-4-1-2) Forster; Bitton, Jullien, Ajer; Forrest, Brown, McGregor, Taylor; Ntcham; Griffiths, Edouard.
Substitutes: Bain, Frimpong, Hayes, Rogic, Christie, Elyounoussi, Bayo.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Aberdeen v Celtic from Pittodrie. It looks like the match has survived Storm Dennis, so Celtic have the chance to go 13 points at the top - even if it’s only for a few hours. Rangers’ game at home to Livingston, which was postponed yesterday, kicks off at 3pm.
There were only two points between the teams when Rangers won at Celtic Park at the end of December. Since then Celtic have won all six league games, belting 22 goals in the process, and appear of a mind to run away with the title.
Aberdeen away is a tricky match on paper, but they have not had a great season and have struggled to score goals. Celtic have also won on their last seven visits to Pittodrie. If they make it eight in a row, they will be closer to nine in a row - in more ways than one.
Kick off is at midday.
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