Aberdeen will quickly shift their focus to next weekend’s game against Livingston, after a nightmare start killed off their chances of a result against Celtic.
The Dons, under the interim leadership of Barry Robson for the third successive game, fell behind just two minutes into the match. A cross from the left flank was initially cleared to the edge of his own box by Jonny Hayes, however Hoops skipper Callum McGregor was quickest to react to thump home a first-time volley which had too much for Jay Gorter to keep out.
A long afternoon looked to be in store when Celtic doubled their lead on 13 minutes. The ball was worked to Reo Hatate who was not closed down on the edge of the box, with the midfielder showing neat footwork before angling a strike past Gorter.
Aberdeen settled down, albeit they survived a scare shortly before half-time when Willie Collum initially awarded a penalty for a foul by Hayes on Daizen Maeda, however VAR pulled it back for an offside against Jota.
The Reds looked intent on making a strong start to the second half, with Leighton Clarkson and Jonny Hayes carving out half-chances.
Aberdeen stood firm to the pressure at the other end but there were to be two further late blows which made it a comfortable scoreline, with Hatate drilling home a neat finish on 76 minutes, before Liel Abada hammered home a late fourth following some slack defending.
Talking points
Robson’s game plan goes out the window in early stages
The Dons came into the game knowing a strong start was crucial to their hopes of pulling off a result.
They succeeded in frustrating the Hoops until the latter stages in the sides’ last encounter at Pittodrie, before McGregor came up with a last minute winner.
The defensive strength of that performance would have been Robson’s blueprint ahead of the trip to Glasgow, however another strike from McGregor just two minutes into the match instantly put the Reds on the backfoot.
Although it did not amount any threat on the hosts’ goal, Aberdeen’s initial response looked to be promising, as they strung together some neat play on the counter-attack – as would have been Robson’s intention had it remained goalless.
Celtic’s second goal took the wind out of their sails however, with the Reds’ defence guilty of allowing Hatate too much space to take aim from the edge of the box – albeit the midfielder deserved credit for his perfectly-angled effort.
Despite the ominous signs so early in the game the Reds appeared to settle, with their defensive unit increasingly standing strong to Celtic’s pressure.
That will have made Robson all the more frustrated by the loss of two late goals which extended the margin of defeat.
After McGregor waltzed through midfield, the ball broke for Hatate to drill home his second and Celtic’s third on 76 minutes.
In the dying minutes the Reds failed to clear their lines from the right back area, which allowed Sead Haksabanovic to cut back for fellow substitute Liel Abada to hammer high into the net.
Fragility still lingers in Dons side
Aberdeen had approached the game in confident mood on the back of a two-week break, which followed a much-needed 3-1 win at home to Motherwell.
That ended a run of five straight defeats, however the trip to such a high-flying Celtic side – which has not lost a league match at home since January 2021 – was always going to be a formidable task.
The loss of two goals so early in the match made it an even steeper uphill task, with the Dons doing well to stem the flow for as long as they did.
Robson was quick to point out the fact that fragility still remains within the Reds camp, given the bruising nature of some of the defeats which ultimately led to Goodwin’s departure.
The Dons side, and in particular the spine of their rearguard, still has something of a new-look feel to it. Goalkeeper Jay Gorter, along with central defenders Mattie Pollock and Angus MacDonald, were all drafted in late in the window.
A sustained period of momentum will be Robson’s target in the coming weeks, in order for the Reds to fully blow off their January cobwebs.
Dons determined to return to Pittodrie in style
Robson will not want to spend time dwelling on the loss at Parkhead, given the need for points in the coming weeks.
The Reds sit seventh in the table, three points adrift of next weekend’s opponents Livingston, with seven matches remaining before the split.
Dons chairman Dave Cormack has indicated he is keen to take his time to appoint Jim Goodwin’s permanent successor, which allows Robson a window to make his case for the job.
Make no mistake, Robson will be laser-focused on nothing other than attempting to get the Reds back to winning ways.
With the convincing win over Well still fresh in the memory, Robson will be looking for more of the same against David Martindale’s side.
Talking tactics
The Dons side showed just one change from the side which defeated Motherwell. Liam Scales was ineligible against his parent club, which meant Jack MacKenzie was drafted in.
Robson made a tactical switch however, with MacKenzie playing on the left-hand side of a central defensive three, with Jonny Hayes and Matty Kennedy operating as wing-backs in a 5-3-2 setup.
Referee watch
Willie Collum’s main flashpoint came towards the end of the first half when he looked correct in awarding a penalty for Hayes’ foul on Maeda, however VAR highlighted an offside against Jota in the build up which did not appear to have been flagged by his assistant.
Player ratings
CELTIC (4-3-3): Hart 6; Johnston 7, Carter-Vickers 6, Starfelt 6, Taylor 7; Hatate 8 (Forrest 79), McGregor 8, O’Riley 7 (Iwata 63); Jota 6 (Abada 63), Oh 6 (Kyogo 72), Maeda 6 (Haksabanovic 63).
Subs not used: Bain, Kobayashi, Bernabei, Ralston.
ABERDEEN (5-3-2): Gorter 6; Kennedy 6, Pollock 6, MacDonald 7, MacKenzie 6, Hayes 5; Ramadani 6, Clarkson 6 (Duncan 63), Shinnie 6; Miovski 5 (Coulson 46), Duk 6 (Watkins 82).
Subs not used: Lewis, Markanday, Myslovic, Polvara, Richardson, Roberts.
Star man
Reo Hatate was the difference maker with two excellent finishes, with his class and composure making him a standout in a very slick Celtic side.
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