Aberdeen 1-3 Celtic: Champions overcome spirited hosts for second straight win

Kyogo Furuhashi made no mistake after being presented with the chance to put Celtic 2-1 up

Champions Celtic held off a spirited Aberdeen to make it two wins out of two in the Scottish Premiership.

Liel Abada scored the visitors' opener after VAR overturned an offside decision but Bojan Miovski levelled from close range.

Kyogo Furuhashi pounced on a dreadful defensive lapse by Nicky Devlin to fire Celtic back in front and Matt O'Riley sealed victory late on.

Aberdeen threatened through Leighton Clarkson's shot wide at 2-1 and remain on one point after two games.

Celtic had come close through Kyogo's chip wide by the time Abada converted Daizen Maeda's header off O'Riley's free-kick. Replays showed Abada had been played onside by Dante Polvara.

Graeme Shinnie headed over and Ryan Duncan's shot suffered the same fate as the Dons pressed, but Luis 'Duk' Lopes' pace outstripped Cameron Carter-Vickers as he latched on to Duncan's pass to set up Miovski for a tap in.

Parity was short lived, though, as Devlin headed back towards Aberdeen's goal, where Kyogo was all on his own to strike. Goalkeeper Kelle Roos then denied Abada and O'Riley from a free-kick to keep the home side in the game, just.

And it almost paid dividends as Miovski burrowed and harried defenders to set up Polvara, whose shot was deflected wide.

Kyogo fired over from substitute Reo Hatate's cross after the break and Devlin atoned for his earlier error with a last-ditch clearance to prevent a Maeda goal.

And, after Clarkson's chance and Maeda being denied by Roos when clean through, sub Yang Hyun-jun set up O'Riley in the six-yard box for the clincher.

Player of the match - Matt O'Riley

After a goalscoring start to his season last week, O'Riley played a big part in the opener and finished confidently for Celtic's third

Celtic negotiate tricky first away day - analysis

In a game of counter attacks, Aberdeen gave as good as they got with Miovski and Duk troubling the Celtic defence and getting the right kind of support from midfield.

One moment that got supporters off their feet was Ester Sokler being taken out by goalkeeper Joe Hart after latching on to a long ball, but the Aberdeen substitute was offside.

The Dons were vulnerable to the break themselves, though, and Celtic could have made more of their possession in wide areas.

After some uncomfortable first-half moments, Celtic sent on Hatate and Stephen Welsh in place of David Turnbull and Carter-Vickers for the second period and had more control of the play.

However, Hatate soon limped off, giving summer signing Odin Thiago Holm a run out for the final 20 minutes, with Yang making an impact as Abada's replacement.

What's next?

Aberdeen travel to face Stirling Albion in the Viaplay Cup on Friday evening with holders Celtic away to Kilmarnock next Sunday.

Player of the match

DevlinNicky Devlin

Aberdeen

Squad number2Player nameDevlin

Squad number3Player nameMacKenzie

Squad number24Player nameRoos

Squad number20Player nameMorris

Squad number21Player namePolvara

Squad number23Player nameDuncan

Squad number10Player nameClarkson

Squad number33Player nameRubezic

Squad number4Player nameShinnie

Squad number11Player nameDuk

Squad number19Player nameSokler

Squad number9Player nameMiovski

Celtic

Squad number33Player nameO'Riley

Squad number8Player nameFuruhashi

Squad number15Player nameHolm

Squad number13Player nameYang Hyun-Jun

Squad number57Player nameWelsh

Squad number17Player nameNawrocki

Squad number38Player nameMaeda

Squad number42Player nameMcGregor

Squad number11Player nameAbada

Squad number20Player nameCarter-Vickers

Squad number1Player nameHart

Squad number41Player nameHatate

Squad number3Player nameTaylor

Squad number14Player nameTurnbull

Squad number49Player nameForrest

Squad number56Player nameRalston

Line-ups

Aberdeen

Formation 3-4-1-2

24Roos

2Devlin33Rubezic3MacKenzie

20Morris10Clarkson4Shinnie23Duncan

21Polvara

9Miovski11de Barros Lopes

24Roos2Devlin33Rubezic3MacKenzie20Morris10Clarkson4Shinnie23Duncan21Polvara9Miovski11de Barros LopesSubstituted forSoklerat 78'minutes

Substitutes

8Barron19Sokler22Besuijen25Ritchie26Stewart28Milne30Dadya31Doohan36Bavidge

Celtic

Formation 4-3-3

1Hart

56Ralston20Carter-Vickers17Nawrocki3Taylor

33O'Riley42McGregor14Turnbull

11Abada8Furuhashi38Maeda

1Hart56Ralston20Carter-VickersSubstituted forHatateat 45'minutesSubstituted forHolmat 70'minutes17Nawrocki3Taylor33O'Riley42McGregorBooked at 54mins14TurnbullBooked at 27minsSubstituted forWelshat 45'minutes11AbadaSubstituted forYangat 70'minutes8FuruhashiSubstituted forForrestat 86'minutes38Maeda