Hearts welcomed new Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy to his debut match with a decisive 2-1 victory at Celtic Park, extending their lead at the summit of the Scottish Premiership. The visitors' triumph came courtesy of goals from Claudio Soares Braga and Oisin McEntee, while Kieran Tierney's late strike provided a mere consolation for the home side.
Celtic, despite dominating possession, struggled to create clear-cut chances against the well-organized Hearts defense. Alexander Schwolow, the Hearts goalkeeper, had a relatively quiet afternoon, with the exception of denying Tierney's late effort and a header from Arne Engels.
Nancy's tactical switch to a back-three formation failed to yield the desired results, as Hearts capitalized on Celtic's defensive lapses. Braga's opening goal just before halftime came after a controversial VAR decision overturned an initial offside call. McEntee doubled the lead in the 64th minute with a header from a corner, leaving Celtic chasing the game.
Celtic's late rally saw Reo Hatate strike the crossbar, but Tierney's stoppage-time goal was too little, too late. Hearts held on to secure a vital three points, moving three points clear at the top of the table.
Nancy, reflecting on the match, acknowledged his side's possession and chances but admitted they lacked the final touch. "We had really good moments, but it was not enough," he said. Former Celtic captain Scott Brown noted the challenge of following Martin O'Neill's interim reign but praised Hearts' performance.
The result marks Hearts' second victory at Celtic Park since 2009 and deals a significant blow to Celtic's title hopes under their new management.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment
Be the first to comment on this article!