Celtic maintain 9-point lead at top of the table after cruising to victory
By Thomas Durning
Three first half goals from Celtic was enough to ensure that the home side picked up another three points in the Scottish Premiership and also maintain there unbeaten start to the year.
It was a night of celebration at Celtic Park with captain Callum McGregor receiving a special shirt before kick-off to congratulate him on making 400 appearances for his club.
Celtic made two changes to their side that beat Dundee Utd on Sunday with Liel Abada and Aaron Mooy dropping out of the team and they were replaced by Daizen Maeda and Matt O’Riley respectively.
Livingston made three changes to their side that drew with Hearts on Sunday with Steven Bradley, Stephen Kelly, and Sean Kelly coming out of the team and they were replaced by Andrew Shinnie, Jason Holt, and Ayo Obileye.
Celtic started the match with complete control of possession as Livingston set up in a 5-4-1 defensive formation in the hope that they could contain Celtic’s attack and hit the home side on the counter attack.
The first chance of the match fell to the home side in the 10th minute after good build up play from Celtic led to Maeda flashing the ball across Livingston’s box but Jota failed to connect with the ball. It only required a tap of the ball from the Portuguese winger as he was facing an empty net.
In the 29th minute, Celtic’s domination of the game came to fruition as they bagged the first goal of the game. Midfielder Hatate managed to find defender Greg Taylor in the box and after taking a touch, the left-back fired the ball into the right-hand corner of the goal to give Celtic a deserving lead. This was Greg Taylor’s third goal of the season.
Celtic doubled there lead four minutes later when a left sided cross from Matt O’Riley required a clearance from Livingston defender Ayo Obileye but his clearance bounced off Daizen Maeda’s head and from yards out it found the back of the net. This was Maeda’s eighth goal of the season and quite possibly will be his strangest goal of the season.
The away side were struggling to have any possession of the ball and create any chances in the first half but could have found a way back into the game minutes later after a Carl Starfelt slip offered a chance for Bruce Anderson to get in behind the Celtic defence but his shot hit the right post with the rebound going wide as well. This was Livingston’s best chance of the first half.
The home side scored their third goal on the stroke of half time with Livingston’s team up the pitch, O Riley’s long ball fell to Kyogo who was one on one with defender Jack Fitzwater and with his left foot he struck the ball into the bottom right-hand corner to give Celtic a three goal advantage and also give him his 21st goal of the season.
This was to be the last action of the first half and with Celtic going into the second half with a three goal advantage, the situation was looking very bleak for the away side.
The second half got underway and from the start it looked like it was going to play out like the first half, Celtic dominating the ball and Livingston sitting in there 5-4-1 defensive formation.
The first chance of the second half fell to goal scorer Kyogo in the 52nd minute when Hatate’s delightful pass found Jota in the box and Jota’s pass found Kyogo but he hit the post from six yards out. The goal would not have counted as the linesman had put up his flag. The signs were not good for Livingston as Celtic were still finding ways to create chances early in the second half.
Maeda nearly scored his second goal of the game when Jota’s left footed cross found the Japanese striker at the back post, but he couldn’t make the right connection with the ball and his chance went wide of the post.
In the 75th minute, recent new signing Hyeongyu Oh made his Celtic Park debut after arriving from South Korean club Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
The second half was a half of few chances with Celtic completely dominating the ball and with Livingston offering no attacking output, the home side settled with there three first half goals and comfortably ran out winners of the match.
Celtic’s next match will be away to St Johnstone on Sunday 5th February 2023.
Livingston’s next match will be at home to Kilmarnock on Saturday 4th February 2023.
Celtic: Hart, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor, Hatate (Turnbull 75’), McGregor (Iwata 85’), O’Riley (Mooy 63’), Jota (Abada 63’) , Maeda, Kyogo (Hyeongyu Oh 75’)
Subs not used: Bain, Kobayashi, Forrest, Haksabanovic
Livingston: George, Boyes, Fitzwater, Obileye, Pittman, Omeonga (Kelly 69’), Devlin (Montano 57’) Penrice, Holt, Shinnie (Bradley 81’), Anderson (Nouble 69’)
Subs not used: Guthrie, Kelly, De Lucas, Hamilton, Longridge
Referee: Nick Walsh
Reporter: Thomas Durning
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