Matt O’Riley scored his sixth cinch Premiership goal of the season to send Celtic on their way to a comfortable 4-1 win over Hearts.
O’Riley volleyed home brilliantly early on and Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi added further goals as Celtic thoroughly dominated for the first hour at Tynecastle.
Lawrence Shankland pulled a goal back but substitute Tomoki Iwata hit his first goal for Celtic to finish the hosts off in the 81st minute.
Reo Hatate missed a penalty in what was otherwise an impressive performance from the Celtic midfielder.
Hearts were looking to build on two wins and a draw in their previous three games. But an unchanged Celtic side restored their seven-point lead at the top of the table 24 hours after Philippe Clement enjoyed a 4-0 win over Hibernian in his first match as Rangers manager.
Hearts had more than halved Celtic’s usual allocation to 576 fans, many of whom displayed Palestine flags before kick-off, to allow more home supporters to attend. However, the section nearest the visiting support in the Roseburn Stand was virtually empty and the 17,608 crowd was comfortably Hearts’ lowest in the league this season.
The atmosphere was punctured inside four minutes as O’Riley ran off marker Calem Nieuwenhof and watched Luis Palma’s lofted pass drop over his shoulder before volleying into the far corner.
Hearts rallied briefly. Joe Hart pushed a Kenneth Vargas strike past his near post and Alex Cochrane sent a dangerous ball across the face of the Celtic goal.
Celtic were largely in control and Zander Clark saved well from Maeda before the Japan attacker doubled the lead midway through the half. Nieuwenhof was again at fault, gifting possession to Celtic not long before Hatate played a one-two with O’Riley to get beyond the home defence and drill a cross which Maeda bundled home from close range.
Celtic remained well on top and Hatate hit the post from the spot in the first minute of the second half after Cochrane had been harshly penalised by Nick Walsh when Furuhashi got his body in front of the left-back and went down.
Hatate atoned for his miss in the 51st minute with a wonderful flick which sent Palma racing down the left flank. Celtic players were queuing up to meet the Honduran winger’s low cross and Furuhashi swept the ball high into the net.
Hatate soon came close himself but Hearts improved after Beni Baningime and Yutaro Oda replaced Nieuwenhof and Alex Lowry, who had both struggled.
Shankland forced a decent parry from Hart just before curling in off the post in the 64th minute after Maeda had gifted him possession 20 yards from goal.
Shankland and Alan Forrest threatened as Hearts continued to respond but Iwata sparked a mass exodus of Hearts fans when he fired in off the bar from 18 yards after Clark had denied another Hoops substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu.
Clark made an excellent stop from Oh to spare the home fans further pain and the Celtic support saluted manager Brendan Rodgers in song in stoppage time.
Let's start our Daily Laugh today.16 remain at the Club World Cup And Man City are back. Will Messi PLAY in The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup FINAL? Thoughts SIMPLE QUESTION - Who will WIN The 2025 FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP? 'When will Cristiano retire?' In the last 16 of the Club World Cup: 🇪🇸 Real Madrid vs. Juventus 🇮🇹Heritage. Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit:...
Chelsea are closing in on another attacking signing.Enzo Maresca is orchestrating a major rebuild of his squadChelsea are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens. The Blues have made it their mission to bolster their forward line this summer, and the Englishman looks set to be a key part of their attacking rebuild.Enzo Maresca’s side have already welcomed...
Arsenal’s hopes of landing one of their top striker targets this summer have taken a significant blow, with BBC journalist Sami Mokbel stating that the Gunners have “less than a 2% chance” of completing the deal during this transfer window.Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are actively searching for a new centre-forward to add a clinical edge to the squad ahead of t...
Liverpool have agreed to sign goalkeeper Freddie Woodman on a free transfer from Preston North End.Woodman to slot in as third choice keeper28-year-old out of contract at PrestonGeorgian no.1 Mamardashvili joins Reds in JulyWHAT HAPPENED?Woodman, 28, made 22 appearances for the Championship side last season. His contract with Preston expires at the end of the month, allowing him to join the Reds o...
Bid rejected! Newcastle fail in £50m swoop for Brighton's PedroNewcastle United have seen a bold £50 million ($68m) offer for Brighton star Joao Pedro rejected, with Chelsea also circling the Brazilian forward. The Magpies are expected to return with an improved bid, but face stiff competition in the market for one of the Premier League’s most versatile and in-demand attackers.Brig...
FBL-EUR-C1-PSG-ASTON VILLAAston Villa feel no pressure to part company with young star Morgan Rogers, with the club telling suitors the player is not for sale.WHAT HAPPENED?A report by Mail Sport suggests the club would demand an offer in excess of £100m before they even consider an approach. That was the figure they commanded from Manchester City for Jack Grealish in the summer of 2021. Asto...
Germany v Portugal - UEFA Nations League 2025 Semi-finalTeddy Sheringham has praised Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes for staying at the club, despite a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia.WHAT HAPPENED?The ex-United and Tottenham star was speaking to Racing Tipster. He spoke glowingly about Fernandes, and also praised the club for not cashing in on their ageing captain. According to Sherin...
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC v Brentford FC - Premier LeagueBryan Mbeumo has decided to join Manchester United, and has informed both Brentford and Tottenham of his intentions, per a new report.WHAT HAPPENED?After months of speculation, David Ornstein reports for The Atheltic that the Cameroonian forward has selected Manchester United as his next club. While it had been suggested a fee of £65m ...
Tottenham Hotspur FC v Ipswich Town FC - Premier LeagueCristian Romero’s absence from Tottenham Hotspurs’ 2024-25 kit launch video has sparked fresh hope for Atletico Madrid in their pursuit of the Argentina defender. Los Rojiblancos boss Diego Simeone is pushing for a deal this summer, but Spurs are standing firm on their £60 million ($82.2m) valuation despite reports of financia...
Manchester United FC v Aston Villa FC - Premier LeagueTottenham and West Ham are both considering swoops for Aston Villa's £40 million-rated midfielder Jacob Ramsey.WHAT HAPPENED?Mail Sport understands Villa are open to selling Ramsey, as he would represent pure profit on their balance sheet against the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. While Spurs and West Ham are interested ...
- 1 Man United close in on Bryan Mbeumo
- 2 Chelsea transfer at 'final stages'
- 3 Man Utd close in on Bryan Mbeumo! Red Devils agree £60m+ fee with Brentford as Premier League rivals iron out final transfer details
- 4 Alfie makes clear Haaland commitment to Man City
- 5 Salzburg vs Real Madrid Prediction 27 June 2025
- 6 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 7 Wayne Rooney gets Erling Haaland ponytail in shock new look
- 8 Liverpool cult hero waves goodbye as transfer is confirmed: It’s been an absolute honour
- 9 Daily Laugh - And Man City are back.
- 10 Marcus Rashford to Barcelona is back ON! La Liga champions ready to sanction loan deal for Man Utd outcast amid Nico Williams pursuit