In a thrilling match, Celtic reclaimed the top position in the Scottish Premiership, showcasing a dominant performance in the second half against a resilient Livingston side.
The turning point came with a stroke of luck as Jamie Brandon’s own goal broke the deadlock, followed by a splendid strike from Paulo Bernardo. Matt O’Riley sealed the victory with a late goal, his shot slipping past the Livingston goalkeeper.
The defending champions now lead Rangers by a single point, though they have played one more game, setting the stage for an eagerly anticipated clash between the Old Firm rivals at Ibrox next Sunday. Meanwhile, Livingston, rooted to the bottom of the table, find themselves trailing Ross County by ten points with only seven games remaining in the season.
Livingston’s Reo Hatate, making only his fifth league start due to injuries, showed promise with a curling effort wide of the mark in the first half. Despite Celtic dominating possession, it wasn’t until stoppage time before halftime that they registered their first shot on target, with Shamal George pulling off a remarkable save to deny Kyogo Furuhashi.The second half saw Celtic intensify their attack, with Hatate testing George before the breakthrough moment arrived.
Bernardo, who had replaced Hatate, wasted no time in making an impact, combining brilliantly with O’Riley to extend Celtic’s lead. Despite George’s best efforts, O’Riley added a third goal with a shot that slipped through the goalkeeper’s grasp, securing Celtic’s victory in emphatic fashion.
