Hearts Move Eight Points Ahead Clear at the Summit After Shankland's Penalty Defeats Celtic
We did not witness at their home ground, with it being far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club have a genuine credible shot of breaking Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. They now lead by eight points for the maroon side over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Try to chase them down.
Turning Point in the Latter Period
A brief but pivotal phase were key, following a tight first half that was fiercely fought. What was so notable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how untroubled the closing stages of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the static Kasper Schmeichel. More joy followed in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Cláudio Braga for a foul that Shankland tucked away. Brendan Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; his problems are mounting.
Supporters began celebrating after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic had actually recovered well from Hearts’ rapid start. Murray, who struggled throughout, scored an own goal due to panic when trying to deal with a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for the equaliser.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in the dying moments. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Complete analysis coming soon.
