Matches › 2025/26

Celtic 3–1 Aberdeen

Sunday 21 December 2025, 15:00 · Celtic Park · Round 18 · Half-time 1–0 · Referee David Dickinson · Attendance 58,798

Celtic Nygren 39', Tierney 88', Forrest 90+2'

Aberdeen Bilalovic 74' · Lobban sent off 45+3'

Post-match

Result and Expected Points

Measure	Celtic	Aberdeen
Goals	3	1
xG	4.72	0.91
Expected Points	2.90	0.07

Celtic 96%Draw 3%Aberdeen 1%

Most likely score 6+–1, 14%. Final score 3–1, 7%.

Own goals have no xG.

xG race

Each side's xG added up shot by shot through the match. Stoppage time is shaded as far as the last shot or event recorded in it. Triangles along the foot mark each side's substitutions.

Match stats

CelticAberdeen

4.72 +2.59xG0.91 −0.49

3.85 +1.93xG on target0.54 −0.66

31 +14Shots10 −3

10 +4.9Shots on target2 −2.2

8 +4.2Big chances1 −0.9

60 +25Touches in the opposition box17 −4

73% +2Possession27% −22

701 +44Passes266 −140

91% +4Pass accuracy70% −8

91% +12Field tilt9% −39

110 +41Final-third entries13 −24

39 +18Box entries10 −1

7.1 −2.1Passes per defensive action18.5 +3.1

8 +1.0Corners4 −0.9

13 −1Tackles9 −7

6 −1.2Interceptions6 −0.3

15 −12Clearances41 +8

1 −1.1Saves7 +4.4

12 0Fouls13 −2

3 +1.2Offsides1 −0.8

The small figure beside each value is its difference from the side's average per league match this season before this one. Field tilt is each side's share of the open-play passes completed in the final third; entries are completed open-play passes and carries into the final third and the box; passes per defensive action (PPDA) counts the opponent's passes in its own 60% of the pitch for each tackle, interception, challenge, or foul there.

Chance locations

Zones Shots

Celtic

Aberdeen

Each area's share of the side's xG from open play and set pieces, with the xG in it. The two wide areas of the box count together, as on the club pages. Shots shows each of those shots instead, sized by its xG, with goals filled in.

Chance types

CelticAberdeen

3.67 24 shots, 3 goalsOpen play0.53 4 shots, 1 goal

0.21 1 shot, 0 goalsCounter-attacks0.06 1 shot, 0 goals

0.84 6 shots, 0 goalsSet pieces0.33 5 shots, 0 goals

xG by type of chance, with each side's shots and goals beside it.

Game state

0–01–01–1

Level: 53 min (55%) · Celtic 2.54, Aberdeen 0.16 xG
Celtic ahead: 44 min (45%) · Celtic 2.18, Aberdeen 0.76 xG

Line-ups

Celtic substitutes

69' Scales for McCowan
70' Forrest for Yang · goal 90+2'
70' Yamada for Kenny
82' Donovan for Ralston · 1 assist

Aberdeen substitutes

54' Gyamfi for Keskinen
54' Shinnie for Karlsson
68' Kjartansson for Aouchiche · 1 assist
68' Bilalovic for Lazetic · goal 74'
89' Nisbet for Jensen

Players

Celtic

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Schmeichel	GK	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.02	2	1
Yang	RB	70			0.14	0.06	1	0.10	7	3
Ralston	CB	82			0.03	0.10	1	0.18	10	5
Trusty	CB	90			0.10	0.12	0	0.31	7	9
Tierney	LB	90	1		0.50	0.87	4	0.72	12	6
McCowan	CM	69			0.24	0.21	1	0.11	11	2
McGregor	CM	90		1	0.30	0.54	4	0.39	6	5
Engels	CM	90			0.38	0.64	6	0.36	2	4
Nygren	RW	90	1		0.94	0.50	1	0.24	6	1
Kenny	ST	70			1.20	0.12	2	−0.04	1	1
Maeda	LW	90		1	0.43	0.85	4	0.50	4	3
Scales	DF	21			0.00	0.05	0	0.05	7	1
Forrest	FW	20	1		0.35	0.07	1	0.09	6	0
Yamada	FW	20			0.12	0.00	0	−0.03	0	0
Donovan	DF	8		1	0.00	0.30	1	0.20	4	0

Aberdeen

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Mitov	GK	90			0.00	0.01	0	0.04	3	6
Lobban	RWB	45			0.00	0.00	0	0.02	1	4
Devlin	CB	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.00	0	10
Milne	CB	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.01	1	9
Knoester	CB	90			0.00	0.02	0	0.07	2	11
Jensen	LWB	89			0.02	0.02	2	0.05	1	5
Keskinen	RM	54			0.07	0.19	1	0.07	2	1
Aouchiche	CM	68			0.07	0.03	0	0.04	2	4
Armstrong	CM	90			0.00	0.05	1	0.07	3	6
Karlsson	LM	54			0.06	0.05	2	0.01	2	0
Lazetic	ST	68			0.22	0.00	0	0.00	0	1
Gyamfi	DF	36			0.00	0.03	0	0.08	2	5
Shinnie	MF	36			0.00	0.01	0	0.01	1	0
Kjartansson	MF	22		1	0.00	0.25	1	0.03	1	0
Bilalovic	FW	22	1		0.47	0.00	0	−0.01	0	0
Nisbet	FW	1			0.00	0.00	0	0.00	0	0

Starters, then substitutes in the order they came on. KP is chances created and Def defensive actions (tackles, blocks, clearances, and interceptions). xT is the expected threat added by the player's completed open-play passes and carries, and Prog counts progressive passes and carries.

Pass networks

Celtic

Aberdeen

Each starter at the average position of their passes and receptions until the side's first substitution or red card, sized by completed passes. Lines join pairs who passed to each other often, thicker for more passes.

Passing combinations

Celtic

From	To	Passes
Tierney	McCowan	28
Ralston	Trusty	25
Trusty	Tierney	25
Trusty	Ralston	23
McGregor	Ralston	21

Aberdeen

From	To	Passes
Milne	Mitov	8
Knoester	Milne	6
Mitov	Devlin	5
Mitov	Jensen	5
Jensen	Knoester	4

The five pairs with the most completed passes from one to the other over the whole match.

Defensive actions

Celtic

Against its average of 16 matches

Aberdeen

Against its average of 16 matches

Where each side made its tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocks, recoveries, challenges, and fouls, attacking up the page. Areas are shaded by the difference from the side's average per match this season before this one: amber for more, blue for fewer.

Threat

Celtic

Aberdeen

Expected threat added by completed open-play passes and carries, by where the move started, attacking up the page. Expected threat is the chance that possession in an area leads to a goal; a move adds the difference between where it ends and where it starts.

Ratings

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday (ring) and after it (dot); a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs after the matchday, spread up and down only so they don't overlap. The change takes in the whole matchday.

League probabilities

Chance	Before	With this result	Change
Celtic
Title	78%	81%	+3
Aberdeen
Top six	60%	57%	−3
Hearts
Title	14%	13%	−1
St. Mirren
Top six	15%	16%	+1
11th	3%	3%	0

From the forecast before the match (21 December 2025): each chance then, and across the simulations in which the match ended this way. The change is in percentage points.

Pre-match

As things stood before kick-off.

Forecast

Measure	Celtic	Aberdeen
Expected goals	2.55	0.72
Win	77%	8%
Expected Points	2.45	0.39
Clean sheet	49%	8%

Celtic 77%Draw 15%Aberdeen 8%

Most likely score 2–0, 12%. Both sides score 48%.

From the forecast as it stood on 21 December 2025: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page.

League probabilities by result

Chance	Now	Celtic win	Draw	Aberdeen win
Celtic
Title	78%	81%	71%	68%
Aberdeen
Top six	60%	57%	68%	77%
Hearts
Title	14%	13%	18%	20%
St. Mirren
Top six	15%	16%	13%	10%
11th	3%	3%	3%	4%

Each chance before the match and across the simulations ending in each result. Other teams are listed where a chance moves by at least 3 percentage points.

Form

Celtic

Aberdeen

The last six league matches, newest first, with xG for and against.

Season to date

Measure	Celtic	Aberdeen
Position	2nd	6th
Played	16	16
Won, drawn, lost	10–⁠2–⁠4	7–⁠3–⁠6
Points	32 (2.00 per game)	24 (1.50 per game)
Expected Points per game	2.08	1.41
Goals	26–⁠13	18–⁠17
xG per game	2.13–⁠0.88	1.40–⁠1.29
Home: points, xG per game	2.38, 2.62–⁠0.52	1.33, 1.55–⁠1.37
Away: points, xG per game	1.62, 1.65–⁠1.23	1.71, 1.21–⁠1.19
Manager	Wilfried Nancy (2)	Jimmy Thelin (54)

League matches this season before kick-off. The manager's number is league matches in charge since 2020/21.

Ratings

This season

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday, with their rank among the league's clubs; a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs, spread up and down only so they don't overlap.

Strengths and weaknesses

Chances	Celtic		Aberdeen
Chances	Created	Conceded	Created	Conceded
Open play	+122%	−56%	average	−25%
Counter-attacks	−14%	−40%	+31%	+44%
Set pieces	−33%	−10%	+9%	+22%
Penalties	+11%	+11%	−26%	−26%
Headers	+69%	−30%	−28%	−3%
Left side	+76%	−51%	+34%	+14%
Centre	+74%	−37%	+3%	−11%
Right side	+19%	−40%	−15%	−2%

xG created and conceded per game against the league average this season: +24% is 24% more than an average side. Left and right are each side's own, so chances conceded on its left come from opponents attacking down their right. Green favours the side and amber doesn't.

Matchups

Celtic attacking

Celtic createdAberdeen concededLeft side+76%−2%Centre+74%−11%Right side+19%+14%Open play+122%−25%Counter-attacks−14%+44%Set pieces−33%+22%Headers+69%−3%

Aberdeen attacking

Aberdeen createdCeltic concededLeft side+34%−40%Centre+3%−37%Right side−15%−51%Open playaverage−56%Counter-attacks+31%−40%Set pieces+9%−10%Headers−28%−30%

Each side's xG created per game down each side of the pitch, through the centre, and from each type of chance, against what its opponent concedes there, both relative to the league average.

Season averages

CelticAberdeen

2.13xG1.40

0.88xG against1.29

71%Possession49%

16.5Shots13.4

7.8Shots against13.0

5.1Shots on target4.2

3.8Big chances1.9

35.2Touches in the opposition box20.8

657Passes406

88%Pass accuracy78%

7.0Corners4.9

79%Field tilt48%

68.6Final-third entries37.1

21.3Box entries10.6

9.2Passes per defensive action15.4

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

Celtic

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	48	2.01	0.80
Ahead	30	2.06	0.92
Behind	13	2.74	1.04

Aberdeen

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	50	1.37	1.06
Ahead	19	0.90	1.41
Behind	21	1.92	1.74

xG by period

Celtic

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.30	0.14	4–1
16–30	0.38	0.06	5–1
31–45	0.38	0.18	1–3
46–60	0.24	0.23	4–5
61–75	0.29	0.10	4–2
76–90	0.55	0.17	8–1

Aberdeen

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.14	0.14	0–1
16–30	0.17	0.19	5–2
31–45	0.29	0.14	2–2
46–60	0.20	0.34	0–3
61–75	0.26	0.20	4–4
76–90	0.34	0.29	7–5

Per game this season, with stoppage time counted in its half; goals are totals for and against.

Most used players by position

Celtic

Formations: 4-3-3 (14), 3-4-3 (1), 3-4-2-1 (1)

Aberdeen

Formations: 3-4-2-1 (7), 4-2-3-1 (5), 3-4-3 (4)

This season's most used formation, with up to three players who started most often in each position and their league starts there. Underneath, when a side has used more than one, every formation with its starts.

Head to head

Date	Home	Score	Away	xG
10 August 2025	Aberdeen	0–2	Celtic	xG 0.55–1.17
14 May 2025	Aberdeen	1–5	Celtic	xG 1.07–3.68
25 February 2025	Celtic	5–1	Aberdeen	xG 2.72–0.85
4 December 2024	Aberdeen	0–1	Celtic	xG 0.88–1.62
19 October 2024	Celtic	2–2	Aberdeen	xG 3.21–1.10
3 February 2024	Aberdeen	1–1	Celtic	xG 1.22–2.04

19 league meetings since 2020/21: Celtic won 15, Aberdeen won 0, and 4 were drawn. Goals 50–14 and xG 2.30–0.85 per game.

Key players

Celtic

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Nygren	9	842	5	2	0.52	0.30
Maeda	12	1,100	6	3	0.51	0.17
Tounekti	9	661	1	0	0.20	0.30
Yang	7	532	0	0	0.33	0.14

Aberdeen

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Karlsson	11	934	4	0	0.37	0.14
Nisbet	8	653	1	1	0.25	0.18
Armstrong	11	928	1	3	0.19	0.24
Lazetic	5	572	4	1	0.37	0.01

Up to four players a side with the most xG plus xA per 90 minutes, from those with at least 450 league minutes.