Matches › 2025/26

Motherwell 2–0 Celtic

Tuesday 30 December 2025, 20:00 · Fir Park · Round 20 · Half-time 1–0 · Referee Kevin Clancy · Attendance 11,435

Motherwell Said 14', Watt 58'

Post-match

Result and Expected Points

Measure	Motherwell	Celtic
Goals	2	0
xG	1.40	0.59
Expected Points	2.08	0.64

Motherwell 60%Draw 28%Celtic 12%

Most likely score 1–0, 23%. Final score 2–0, 16%.

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

MotherwellCeltic

1.40 −0.04xG0.59 −1.78

2.32 +0.92xG on target1.00 −1.11

11 −1Shots8 −9

6 +1.8Shots on target3 −2.5

2 −0.3Big chances0 −4.1

13 −11Touches in the opposition box19 −18

43% −17Possession57% −14

466 −95Passes595 −64

86% +1Pass accuracy89% +1

26% −36Field tilt74% −5

29 −20Final-third entries42 −28

9 −5Box entries13 −9

25.1 +12.3Passes per defensive action13.6 +4.3

1 −2.4Corners3 −3.9

15 0Tackles15 +1

3 −5.0Interceptions7 −0.1

19 −4Clearances20 −7

3 −0.1Saves4 +2.0

7 −5Fouls14 +2

3 +0.5Offsides2 +0.2

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

Motherwell

Celtic

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

MotherwellCeltic

1.20 8 shots, 2 goalsOpen play0.42 5 shots, 0 goals

0.20 3 shots, 0 goalsCounter-attacks0.00 0 shots, 0 goals

0.00 0 shots, 0 goalsSet pieces0.17 3 shots, 0 goals

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

Game state

0–01–02–0

Level: 14 min (15%) · Motherwell 0.25, Celtic 0.13 xG
Motherwell ahead: 79 min (85%) · Motherwell 1.15, Celtic 0.47 xG

Line-ups

Motherwell substitutes

75' Hendry for Just
85' Longelo for Priestman
90+3' McAllister for Slattery
90+3' Ross for Said

Celtic substitutes

46' Engels for Tierney
46' McCowan for Maeda
46' Yamada for Bernardo
60' Donovan for Ralston
66' Forrest for Yang

Players

Motherwell

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Ward	GK	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.06	4	2
Sparrow	RB	90			0.00	0.01	2	0.03	6	3
O'Donnell	CB	90		1	0.00	0.17	1	0.21	4	5
McGinn	CB	90			0.00	0.00	0	−0.01	0	6
Koutroumbis	LB	90			0.02	0.01	0	0.02	1	5
Slattery	RM	90			0.09	0.01	1	0.02	2	1
Priestman	CM	85			0.00	0.01	1	−0.01	1	4
Watt	CM	90	1		0.68	0.02	0	0.00	6	10
Fadinger	LM	90			0.00	0.01	0	0.00	3	1
Just	AM	75			0.30	0.05	1	0.21	8	1
Said	ST	90	1		0.30	0.04	2	0.05	4	1
Hendry	FW	15			0.00	0.00	0	0.00	0	1
Longelo	DF	5			0.00	0.00	0	0.01	1	0
McAllister	MF	0			0.00	0.00	0	–	–	0
Ross	FW	0			0.00	0.00	0	–	–	0

Celtic

Player	Pos	Min	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Schmeichel	GK	90	0.00	0.00	0	0.02	1	0
Ralston	CB	60	0.00	0.14	1	0.10	4	4
Trusty	CB	90	0.07	0.02	0	0.09	6	11
Scales	CB	90	0.00	0.03	0	0.12	9	7
Yang	RWB	66	0.13	0.02	0	0.01	4	2
McGregor	CM	90	0.00	0.08	1	0.03	3	2
Bernardo	CM	46	0.00	0.02	0	−0.02	1	3
Tierney	LWB	46	0.00	0.03	0	0.03	3	6
Nygren	AM	90	0.15	0.31	1	0.03	3	0
Maeda	AM	46	0.00	0.00	0	−0.01	0	2
Hatate	ST	90	0.00	0.21	0	0.08	2	0
Engels	MF	44	0.02	0.10	2	0.04	3	0
McCowan	MF	44	0.03	0.02	0	0.00	3	3
Yamada	FW	44	0.15	0.01	1	0.04	0	0
Donovan	DF	30	0.00	0.02	1	0.02	2	4
Forrest	FW	24	0.04	0.05	0	0.02	2	1

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

Motherwell

Celtic

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

Motherwell

From	To	Passes
McGinn	Ward	23
O'Donnell	Ward	21
Ward	Watt	15
Ward	O'Donnell	12
Priestman	O'Donnell	12

Celtic

From	To	Passes
Trusty	Ralston	21
Scales	Trusty	21
Trusty	Scales	20
Ralston	Trusty	14
McGregor	Scales	14

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

Defensive actions

Motherwell

Against its average of 19 matches

Celtic

Against its average of 18 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

Motherwell

Celtic

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
Motherwell
Top six	92%	97%	+5
Celtic
Title	87%	80%	−7
Hearts
Title	9%	12%	+3
Rangers
Title	4%	7%	+3

From the forecast before the match (30 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	Motherwell	Celtic
Expected goals	0.93	1.91
Win	17%	60%
Expected Points	0.74	2.03
Clean sheet	15%	40%

Motherwell 17%Draw 23%Celtic 60%

Most likely score 1–1, 11%. Both sides score 52%.

From the forecast as it stood on 30 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	Motherwell win	Draw	Celtic win
Motherwell
Top six	92%	97%	93%	90%
Celtic
Title	87%	80%	85%	90%
Hearts
Title	9%	12%	10%	7%
Rangers
Title	4%	7%	4%	3%

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

Motherwell

Celtic

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

Season to date

Measure	Motherwell	Celtic
Position	5th	2nd
Played	19	18
Won, drawn, lost	7–⁠9–⁠3	12–⁠2–⁠4
Points	30 (1.58 per game)	38 (2.11 per game)
Expected Points per game	1.52	2.17
Goals	26–⁠16	33–⁠16
xG per game	1.44–⁠1.27	2.37–⁠0.89
Home: points, xG per game	2.00, 1.60–⁠0.77	2.44, 2.85–⁠0.56
Away: points, xG per game	1.20, 1.30–⁠1.71	1.78, 1.89–⁠1.22
Manager	Jens Berthel Askou (19)	Wilfried Nancy (4)

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	Motherwell		Celtic
Chances	Created	Conceded	Created	Conceded
Open play	+14%	−3%	+127%	−55%
Counter-attacks	−27%	+2%	−5%	−42%
Set pieces	−40%	−18%	−10%	−8%
Penalties	+91%	−36%	+35%	+1%
Headers	−19%	−32%	+82%	−35%
Left side	average	−19%	+89%	−50%
Centre	−33%	+3%	+92%	−38%
Right side	+47%	−14%	+15%	−36%

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

Motherwell attacking

Motherwell createdCeltic concededLeft sideaverage−36%Centre−33%−38%Right side+47%−50%Open play+14%−55%Counter-attacks−27%−42%Set pieces−40%−8%Headers−19%−35%

Celtic attacking

Celtic createdMotherwell concededLeft side+89%−14%Centre+92%+3%Right side+15%−19%Open play+127%−3%Counter-attacks−5%+2%Set pieces−10%−18%Headers+82%−32%

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

MotherwellCeltic

1.44xG2.37

1.27xG against0.89

60%Possession71%

12.2Shots17.4

11.3Shots against8.3

4.2Shots on target5.5

2.3Big chances4.1

23.8Touches in the opposition box36.6

561Passes658

85%Pass accuracy88%

3.4Corners6.9

62%Field tilt80%

48.9Final-third entries70.4

14.3Box entries22.3

12.8Passes per defensive action9.3

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

Motherwell

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	58	1.05	1.18
Ahead	22	1.96	1.59
Behind	10	2.65	1.08

Celtic

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	47	2.19	0.78
Ahead	32	2.25	1.00
Behind	12	3.42	1.02

xG by period

Motherwell

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.06	0.09	0–1
16–30	0.21	0.21	7–3
31–45	0.23	0.20	4–0
46–60	0.30	0.17	4–3
61–75	0.30	0.29	4–5
76–90	0.34	0.31	7–4

Celtic

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.41	0.13	6–3
16–30	0.39	0.07	5–1
31–45	0.46	0.20	4–3
46–60	0.25	0.21	4–5
61–75	0.29	0.13	4–3
76–90	0.56	0.16	10–1

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

Most used players by position

Motherwell

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (13), 4-4-2 (2), 4-3-3 (2), 4-3-2-1 (1), 3-1-4-2 (1)

Celtic

Formations: 4-3-3 (15), 3-4-2-1 (2), 3-4-3 (1)

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
5 October 2025	Celtic	3–2	Motherwell	xG 2.62–1.39
2 February 2025	Motherwell	1–3	Celtic	xG 0.52–3.26
26 December 2024	Celtic	4–0	Motherwell	xG 3.55–0.23
27 October 2024	Motherwell	0–3	Celtic	xG 0.71–1.45
25 February 2024	Motherwell	1–3	Celtic	xG 0.69–2.87
25 November 2023	Celtic	1–1	Motherwell	xG 3.25–0.48

17 league meetings since 2020/21: Motherwell won 0, Celtic won 15, and 2 were drawn. Goals 11–46 and xG 0.66–2.40 per game.

Key players

Motherwell

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Stamatelopoulos	9	848	6	2	0.91	0.06
Slattery	10	926	2	2	0.18	0.24
Just	13	1,164	3	3	0.22	0.19
Hendry	8	690	0	0	0.29	0.10

Celtic

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Kenny	7	585	4	2	0.93	0.05
Nygren	11	1,003	8	2	0.60	0.31
Maeda	14	1,280	6	5	0.50	0.21
Yang	9	673	1	0	0.42	0.12

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