Celtic continued their journey towards a second consecutive treble. Scottish Premiership action saw the Bhoys welcome Hearts to Paradise, the team defeated the Glasgow side 4-0 not too long ago.
Revenge was needed in this one not just because of the streak-ending loss, but for a continued reign at the top of the table. Well, the Hoops got the revenge and more as they’ve hit the 60-point threshold, and sit 16 points ahead of second placed Rangers.
The victory in this fixture proved the Celts’ reasonable scoring depth. Unusual suspects such as Dedryck Boyata and Moussa Dembele found the scoring touch, while Odsonne Edouard progressed to make his permanent signing case.
And it all started very early for the young Frenchmen. Three minutes is all it took for Edouard to sprint right through the middle of the Hearts’ back-line and chip the ball over Jon McLaughlin for the 1-0 lead.
A mix-up in the Hearts midfield eventually led to an ugly turnover straight to the feet of Dembele who was lurking in the box. The 21-year-old’s shot deflected off of McLaughlin and cleared out.
Huge vision capabilities from Kieran Tierney found James Forrest outside the 18-yard box. Forrest found Dembele, who then sent in Boyata for the second goal of the night. Brilliant interplay and teamwork displayed with this breakthrough.
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The Hoops’ next few big chances came from the fact the the Hearts’ midfield couldn’t stop giving away the ball. Tierney again worked down the far side and found the foot of Dembele who found form when sending in the third goal.
Both France natives in Edouard and Dembele finished with big nights. Moussa tried curling in a beauty past McLaughlin, but the chance went over the bar. The second half also saw another breakaway from Edouard, but his shot was eventually turned aside.
Kyle Lafferty converted one late goal past Dorus de Vries, who only faced three shots and let in the goal.
Charly Musonda also made his debut today. There wasn’t much to see from the Chelsea loan option, but he did make a couple of runs and successful dribbles. Nice to see that Brendan Rodgers followed through with his “one more signing” promise on a talent like Musonda.
Final: Celtic 3-1 Hearts
Key Stats
Celtic
- 7 shots on target
- 65% possession
- Key Player: Tierney continued to supply down the wing
Hearts
- 1 shot on target (de Vrius let in Lafferty goal)
- 3 yellow cards
- Key Player: McLaughlin kept the game reasonable
The most crucial stretch of domestic games is becoming a breeze for the Bhoys at the moment. Celtic get a little break in terms of competitiveness as Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle are upcoming; both of which sit below the top five on the table.
Sooner or later, the Celts will get a real test with Zenit. As of right now, however, it seems that nobody can really live up with what the Bhoys have to offer.
Next: Celtic take squad blow with win over Hibernian
Thoughts on the victory today? Glad to see Musonda already make his debut? Let us know in the comments section below.