13/05/2026
Celtic's late late show sets up title showdown at Paradise
Celtic will have the chance to win the title against Hearts on Saturday afternoon at Celtic Park after a last-gasp 3-2 victory over Motherwell at Fir Park kept the gap at the top of the table to just one point.
With so much on the line this evening, Celtic looked to put pressure on the home side from the start and with just over five minutes gone, the Hoops had fashioned two chances.
The first, a free kick from Arne Engels went wide of the target from 30 yards out, whilst the second saw Alistair Johnston burst in to the area and flash a ball towards the six-yard box, which the Motherwell defence dealt with.
Motherwell took the lead with just over 15 minutes gone, when a ball in to the box from Tom Sparrow was forced out to the edge of the area where Elliott Watt was waiting. Watt’s effort was a powerful one and even a touch from Sinisalo wasn’t enough to keep it out of the net.
That opener spurred the home side and their support on and for the next 10 minutes, the Hoops had to deal with a number of forward runs and crosses in to the box from Jens Berthel Askou’s men.
Celtic fashioned a great opportunity which could have led to an equaliser in the 25th minute when Sebastian Tounekti went tearing away down the left wing in to a good crossing position after linking up with Benjamin Nygren, but the Tunisian winger’s cross was massively overhit and the chance was gone.
The equaliser that Celtic desperately required came with five minutes of the first half to go, with Daizen Maeda producing a finish from a difficult angle to find the back of the net via the inside of the post.
The pass through to the Japanese forward came from Motherwell’s Callum Slattery, whose full-blooded sliding challenge on Yang sent the ball in Maeda’s direction, and he made no mistake as he claimed his seventh goal in five games.
In the final minute of the half, Motherwell goalkeeper Calum Ward clattered in to Daizen Maeda in the box after a lofted pass in to the area from Callum McGregor.
With Maeda still laid out on the ground, Arne Engels pounced on the loose ball and hit the crossbar with an effort from the edge of the box, with the Hoops unlucky not to go in one goal ahead at the break.
Motherwell found themselves with a big chance just moments in to the second half when Elijah Just burst in to the Celtic penalty area, but just as he pulled the trigger on what would have been an effort on target, Callum McGregor appeared on the scene to make a crucial block.
With a little over 10 minutes of the second half played, Benjamin Nygren fired Celtic in to the lead with a truly sublime finish from the edge of the box.
Yang laid the ball off to the Swede, allowing him to take a strike which dipped in to the top corner of the net just in front of the travelling Celtic support, who went wild in celebration.
Martin O’Neill made three changes with 70 minutes on the clock, bringing Anthony Ralston, Kelechi Iheanacho and Reo Hatate on in place of Alistair Johsnton, Sebastian Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren.
Soon after coming on, Kelechi Iheanacho went for a spectacular effort from the halfway line after Elliott Watt completely missed the ball, but the Nigerian’s attempt to lob the keeper from the middle of the park drifted wide of the target.
Further changes soon followed for Celtic as Yang and Kieran Tierney made way for James Forrest and Marcelo Saracchi.
Motherwell came close to equalising with 10 minutes left when Elliot Watt’s effort from distance hit the cross bar and came to Tawanda Maswanhise, but his headed effort was well saved by Vil Sinisalo.
With just over five minutes left on the clock, Motherwell did level the game, with the ball breaking to Liam Gordon a few yards out from goal. Celtic had thrown their bodies on the line to prevent several chances in the build-up, but could do nothing to stop Gordon’s equaliser.
Then, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, this dramatic season took another crazy twist. A Celtic throw-in, launched in to the box, was handled by Emmanuel Longelo, and all of a sudden, when it looked like the Hoops would need to beat Hearts by at least three goals on the final day of the season, an opportunity to simplify Saturday’s task was presented in the form of a penalty kick.
Kelechi Iheanacho stepped up, the coolest man inside Fir Park, and dispatched his spot-kick in to the bottom corner sparking wild celebrations in the away stand and in Celtic-supporting pubs, clubs and living rooms all around the world.
The Hoops now look forward to Saturday afternoon, where Hearts are the visitors to Celtic Park for the final league match of the season in a winner-takes-all shoot-out.
