Celtic retained hopes for a championship celebration against Rangers after securing a 3-0 triumphant win over Hearts in the Scottish Premiership, largely due to Kyogo Furuhashi’s first seasonal brace. Striking twice in the opening segment of the match, and later with a successful penalty kick from Matt O’Riley, Celtic widened their lead by six points and eight goals over Rangers, whose match against Kilmarnock is scheduled for Sunday.
Depending on the outcome of Rangers’ game, Celtic could potentially seal their third consecutive championship title if they dominate their city rivals in the upcoming match next Saturday. Even a win for Rangers against Kilmarnock wouldn’t deter Celtic, managed by Brendan Rodgers, from being within striking distance of championship glory, especially following their splendid performance in a jam-packed and lively Celtic Park.
Hearts’ goalkeeper, Zander Clark, worked overtime to stop Celtic from further increasing their lead. Despite Hearts’ success in the last two encounters, Celtic was in peak form, with Daizen Maeda making a comeback from a hamstring injury to bolster their bench strength.
In the early exchange, visitors held their ground and nearly opened the scoring within the first minute. Celtic player Cameron Carter-Vickers thwarted what seemed like a guaranteed goal by Laurence Shankland, deflecting the ball to the corner after a pass from Dexter Lembikisa.
Celtic’s resolve paid off in the fourth minute with a successful corner from O’Riley, punched out to the edge of the box by Clark. The ball was then expertly lobbed back into the danger zone by Reo Hatate, leading to Furuhashi’s initial goal. Following a tight offside VAR review, the score was duly granted.
Hearts posed a threat with Joe Hart’s splendid one-handed save off Cammy Devlin’s volley and Carter-Vickers narrowly missing a header. Their efforts were soon eclipsed by Celtic’s second goal, scored by Furuhashi in the 21st minute, skillfully guiding a volley into the net after a beautiful lofted pass from O’Riley.
The initial half saw Celtic demonstrating superior performance, evidenced as Clark skilfully saved attempts from Greg Taylor, O’Riley and Furuhashi, each saving surpassing the last in excellence. After the intermission, the league’s frontrunners maintained their momentum, with Clark executing a double thwart against shots from Hatate and O’Riley. Moreover, James Forrest narrowly missed scoring, not once, but twice.
The home team supporters’ enthusiasm escalated as Celtic sought to enhance their scoring margin. Aggressive tackles from Callum McGregor and Furuhashi, while backtracking, received cheer nearly identical to the ones that were earlier accorded to the goals.
Hearts managed one opportunity in the second half; however, Hart adeptly prevented a final attempt on goal by Yutaro Oda. This occurred after the Japanese player had swiftly played a one-two pass with Scott Fraser, their substitute.
O’Riley masterfully directed an 87th-minute penalty shot into the top corner after a handball infringement by Shankland, leading referee Kevin Clancy to consult his monitor. Clark’s close-range block thwarted substitute Maeda, and the Green Brigade fans, eagerly awaiting the imminent confrontation, unfurled a banner igniting chants of “welcome the Rangers” during the final moments.