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Celtic wins Scottish Premiership title with late goals, defeating Hearts 3-1

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Celtic Snatch Late Victory to Deny Hearts Historic Title

Celtic clinched the Scottish Premiership title on Saturday by scoring two late goals to secure a 3-1 victory over Hearts, denying Hearts their first league title in 66 years.

Match Summary

Hearts led 1-0 at halftime after Lawrence Shankland headed in a corner in the 43rd minute. Celtic equalized via an Arne Engels penalty in first-half stoppage time.

The drama intensified in the closing stages:

  • Daizen Maeda scored in the 87th minute after a VAR review confirmed he was not offside.
  • Callum Osmand added a third goal in stoppage time, walking the ball into an empty net after Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow came forward for an equalizer.

The victory gave Celtic its 14th title in 15 years.

Post-Match Incidents

Celtic fans invaded the pitch after the final goal, leading to confrontations with Hearts players. According to reports:

  • Hearts players left the stadium without changing out of their kits and did not fulfill post-match media duties.
  • Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland was allegedly punched by a Celtic fan and was seen shoving a fan away.
  • Police Scotland reported disorder in Glasgow's Trongate area, with bottles and missiles thrown at officers. Riot police were deployed to disperse crowds.

Statements from Both Sides

Hearts said: "Heart of Midlothian utterly condemns the shameful scenes at Celtic Park this afternoon which have, once again, embarrassed Scottish football. ... Reports of serious physical and verbal abuse towards our players and staff, both on the pitch and elsewhere, are deeply disturbing."

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill said: "I genuinely can't believe it, it's like a dream. I'm absolutely ecstatic."

Background & Context

  • Hearts had led the Scottish Premiership for 226 days since October, aiming for their first title since 1960.
  • This was the first time since 1989 that the top two teams contested the title on the final day.
  • Celtic manager Martin O'Neill, 74, served as interim manager, returning two decades after his first spell.
  • The match was preceded by controversy over a penalty awarded to Celtic against Motherwell earlier in the week, which Hearts manager Derek McInnes called "disgusting."