Celtic were expected to have a strong performance at Partick Thistle. However, an early lead for the bottom dwellers gave a bit of a scare to Brendan Rodgers and the Bhoys.
The Celts found a way to survive though. Coming in the clutch was Scott Sinclair and Leigh Griffiths who helped Celtic secure the three points in a 2-1 victory.
The victory gives the Hoops a decisive lead in the Scottish Premiership table. 54 points and first place is a great sign, which is good for 11 points clear of second placed Aberdeen.
Rodgers elected to utilize his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation with Odsonne Edouard being the surprising lone striker. The young Frenchman had a chance early as Kieran Tierney sent a ball right to his feet, but Edouard’s chance went wide.
Edouard again created space in the middle of the park which allowed him to find a path towards goal. His shot again however, only came with little velocity behind it as Tomas Cerny cleanly swooped the ball up.
Possession numbers finished with the Celts having the big advantage. As a result, Partick tried to hit the Bhoys on numerous counter-attacks, and they worked well. Miles Storey curled a ball on Craig Gordon that the Scot just got a piece of to turn aside.
Storey got his redemption as Mikael Lustig made an awful mistake when taking him down within the box. The penalty kick was delivered home by Conor Sammon to give the home team the lead.
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Sinclair proved his value as he worked into the box, and did what’s best for the Bhoys by going down from a tough tackle from a Partick defender. The winger went to the dot and sent in his 18th tally of the season for the tying goal.
The Bhoys were really bringing the heat on the back-line of Partick towards the end of the fixture. Fans likely felt as if a goal was on the horizon, and sure enough, it was.
After an array of chances from Callum McGregor and James Forrest, Scott Brown sent in Griffiths who nutmeged Cerny for the game-winning goal.
It was all but over for the Maryhill side as Celtic continued to pour on the chances until the final whistle.
Final Score: Celtic 2-1 Partick
Another crucial result for the Celts before they head into a tough stretch domestically. The next three opponents are all sides within the top five on the Scottish table.
Kudos to the attacking front of the Hoops as they blistered Partick with 28 shots on target.
Celtic will stay at Paradise for the next two fixtures however. A date with Hibernian is next before trying to get the revenge on Hearts to end the month of January.
Next: Celtic vs. Partick Thistle: Back to league play
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