Aberdeen 1-2 Celtic: Scottish Premiership – as it happened

Kristoffer Ajer’s excellent late goal gave Celtic a hard-fought victory at a gusty Pittodrie

Read our match report

3.11pm GMT

That’s it for today’s blog; I’ll leave you with a match report from Pittodrie. Thanks for your company - bye!

Related: Late Kristoffer Ajer winner forces Celtic past plucky Aberdeen

1.52pm GMT

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1.50pm GMT

Peep peep! Celtic go 13 points clear with a seriously hard-fought win at a gusty Pittodrie. It’s harsh on Aberdeen, who were on the front foot for most of the game, but Celtic showed their superior class with an excellent winning goal from Kristoffer Ajer. In the circumstances it’s a quite brilliant win for Celtic, the sort that makes a team think they are going to be champions.

1.48pm GMT

90+1 min Three minutes of added time.

1.47pm GMT

90+1 min Although the scoreline is flattering, Celtic have been much better since Neil Lennon switched to a back four early in the second half.

1.46pm GMT

90 min That second goal has flattened Aberdeen, who are struggling to rouse themselves to push for an equaliser. Celtic have had their best spell of the match since going ahead.

1.45pm GMT

87 min: What a miss from Edouard! That should have been a third for Celtic. Forrest’s cross came to Edouard in the six-yard box; he missed his first attempt at a shot and then hoofed his second straight at the feet of Lewis, who had already dived in an attempt to block the first shot that Edouard muffed. All Edouard had to do was lift the ball over the keeper’s legs.

1.42pm GMT

86 min Bitton is booked for an off-the-ball shove on Cosgrove.

1.41pm GMT

84 min I should also give credit to Odsonne Edouard, who started the move for the goal with a superb bit of control and a backheel to Callum McGregor.

1.39pm GMT

83 min Sam Cosgrove replaces Funso Ojo for Aberdeen.

1.39pm GMT

It’s been such a difficult afternoon for Celtic, but they won’t care if the score stays like this. The goal was made by Forrest, who scurried infield from the left and played an excellent angled pass to find Ajer in space on the right side of the area. He controlled the ball, looked up and sidefooted an emphatic shot over the left shoulder of the outrushing Lewis. That was a belting finish.

1.37pm GMT

Celtic have mugged Aberdeen!

1.35pm GMT

79 min Tom Rogic replaces Olivier Ntcham.

1.35pm GMT

78 min Main was right behind McKenna, and would have had a much easier chance. McKenna didn’t realise.

1.33pm GMT

77 min McGinn’s inswinging cross from the left is headed on at the near post by Considine, but McKenna can’t get any power in his header at goal and Forster makes an easy save.

1.33pm GMT

75 min For the umpteenth time this afternoon, Jullienm complains after being manhandled by Main. Aberdeen win a corner, which is punched away by Forster.

1.31pm GMT

74 min: Fine save by Lewis! Celtic almost take the lead against the run of play. The left-back Hayes plays a one-two with Edouard, scurries into the area and smacks a shot that is well blocked by the outrushing Lewis. He could have cut it back to the unmarked Ntcham but only had eyes for a goal against his old club.

1.30pm GMT

73 min It’s been a really unpleasant afternoon for the Celtic defenders, who have been buffetted by the front pair of Curtis Main and Storm Dennis.

1.28pm GMT

71 min McGinn’s brilliant cross is headed up in the air by Bitton in his own six-yard box. It swirls around and is eventually shovelled behind, less than convincingly, by Forster.

1.26pm GMT

70 min If it stays like this, Celtic will be 11 points clear of Rangers having played two games more. Rangers play at home to Livingston at 3pm.

1.25pm GMT

69 min The stretching Jullien makes a terrific tackle on McGinn in his own penalty area.

1.23pm GMT

67 min An Aberdeen change: Craig Bryson replaces Matty Kennedy.

1.23pm GMT

67 min To the great delight of the Aberdeen fans, an abysmal cross from Hayes goes straight out of play.

1.21pm GMT

65 min Celtic have had a bit more of the ball since bringing on Christie, though they still look miles off their exhilarating best.

1.20pm GMT

64 min “Hard to see both Edouard and Griffiths not scoring for a second successive match,” says Simon McMahon. “Mind you, if it can happen to Lawrence Shankland…”

1.19pm GMT

63 min Jullien is booked for a tackle from behind on Main. He got the ball but the referee decided he went through Main to get to it.

1.18pm GMT

61 min Brown and Main are starting to rub each other up the wrong way, which could make the next few minutes particularly entertaining.

1.16pm GMT

59 min Celtic have switched to the old 4-3-3 formation, with Ajer at right-back, Christie wide right and Forrest on the left.

1.14pm GMT

58 min Celtic make an early change, with Leigh Griffiths replaced by Ryan Christie. Griffiths has had a frustrating afternoon.

1.12pm GMT

56 min Main’s harmless long-range shot is comfortably held by Forster. For all Aberdeen’s superiority, he hasn’t had a huge amount of work to do.

1.09pm GMT

53 min Scott Brown maintains his popularity levels at Pittodrie by running into McGinn and sending him to the floor.

1.07pm GMT

51 min After a sustained spell of Aberdeen pressure, Bitton does well to usher Kennedy out of play. But Celtic are really struggling to get on the ball.

1.04pm GMT

49 min Aberdeen continue to harass Celtic, with and without the ball. They’ve been terrific today.

1.01pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! Aberdeen begin the second half.

12.48pm GMT

Half-time reading

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12.47pm GMT

Peep peep! Celtic’s winning run is under threat. They haven’t settled at a windy Pittodrie, and Aberdeen fully deserved Ash Taylor’s emphatic equaliser. Callum McGregor gave Celtic an early lead, but the Aberdeen keeper Joe Lewis has had the square root of bugger all to do since then. See you in 15 minutes for the second half.

12.46pm GMT

45 min Ash Taylor is booked for taking a shortcut through the back of Edouard. Having seen the replay, that was a fair enough challenge from Jullien - he leaned in with his arm rather than using his hands to push Main out of the way.

12.45pm GMT

45 min Main goes over in the area after a shove from behind by Jullien. No penalty is given, but that looked clumsy at best.

12.44pm GMT

44 min Griffiths gives away a silly free-kick and then gets himself booked for dissent.

12.42pm GMT

42 min A free-kick is headed away as far as McGinn, 25 yards from goal. He launches into a volley but it’s miles off target and hits one of his teammates before going behind.

12.39pm GMT

39 min McLennan is booked for diving in the Celtic area. And quite right too; it was a risible bit of simulation.

12.38pm GMT

38 min A stinging long-range shot from Ojo is beaten away by Forster. It was a comfortable enough save, and he probably would have tried to catch it but for the wind.

12.36pm GMT

37 min Bitton shoots from 25 yards. Goalkick to Aberdeen.

12.36pm GMT

36 min Some lovely sleight of shoulder from Forrest, who beats Kennedy without touching the ball and then clips a dangerous ball that bounces right across the six-yard line.

12.34pm GMT

35 min Ntcham flicks a dangerous through pass towards Griffiths, who is beaten to the ball by McKenna. Good defending.

12.32pm GMT

33 min Nothing comes of the corner. Not a thing.

12.32pm GMT

32 min A snapvolley from Main hits Jullien and goes behind for a corner. This is an excellent spell for Aberdeen.

12.31pm GMT

32 min ... nowt happens.

12.31pm GMT

31 min McGinn is fouled on the left wing by Forrest. Ferguson wanders over to take the free-kick. From which...

12.29pm GMT

29 min Celtic have been nowhere near their best so far. I don’t know whether it’s the conditions or just one of those first half hours.

12.27pm GMT

It was a really good finish from the big centre-half Ash Taylor. A nothing cross from the right somehow bounced through to him in space at the far post. He took the ball down on the chest and rifled a half-volley past Forster from 10 yards.

12.26pm GMT

I told you Aberdeen didn’t look like scoring!

12.25pm GMT

25 min Former Aberdeen player Jonny Hayes replaces Greg Taylor, and is booed onto the field.

12.24pm GMT

24 min There’s a break in play while Greg Taylor receives treatment. He’s struggling and is going to come off.

12.22pm GMT

23 min As if to prove the point, Main shoots miles over the bar from distance.

12.22pm GMT

22 min Main, Aberdeen’s lone striker, is doing a lot of grunt work in the channels, and has linked play neatly as well. There’s a lot to like about Aberdeen, but they don’t really look like scoring.

12.19pm GMT

20 min A decent cross from Ferguson flashes right across the Celtic area. Aberdeen have played some nice stuff but, as so often this season, are lacking penetration.

12.18pm GMT

19 min “Very important question,” says Jim Crane. “Where would you place Scott Brown in the pantheon of modern sporting irritants (the Nause Scale, if you will)? I always feel he’d have fit in well with the turn of the century Australian Test team; part of a superior and dominant side, but constantly on the wind-up anyway because (‘Scorpion and Frog’-like) it’s just in his nature.”

I’m not sure where he fits on the scale, but I can’t get enough of his comedy masculinity. He’s the gift that keeps on niggling.

12.15pm GMT

15 min The scoreline is a bit harsh on Aberdeen, who have been the better team. Ferguson plays a one-two with Main and is flattened by Jullien, just outside the area on the right. McGinn’s free-kick drifts harmlessly across the penalty box.

12.14pm GMT

12 min Aberdeen were unhappy that Griffiths eased McKenna off the ball in the build up to the goal. It was a subjective decision that could have gone either way, although it would have been a softish free-kick.

12.11pm GMT

11 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Bonus Scottish football, and VAR- free, too. You’re welcome!”

12.11pm GMT

Griffiths surged down the inside-left channel and squared the ball to Edouard in the area. He teed up Forrest, whose shot was slapped away by the diving Lewis. The rebound fell perfectly for McGregor, who steered it into the net with not inconsiderable glee.

12.10pm GMT

Celtic pinch the lead with their first decent attack!

12.06pm GMT

7 min Aberdeen are starting to cause a few problems with crosses, particularly from the right. But the match hasn’t really settled down.

12.04pm GMT

5 min It’s been a scruffy start, with both teams trying to get used to the swirling wind.

12.02pm GMT

2 min Logan’s right-wing cross bounces around the Celtic area for a while before Considine heads off target from the edge of the area. Celtic break quickly and Ntcham drives well wide from 20 yards.

12.00pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! Celtic kick off from left to right.

11.57am GMT

Stormwatch It’s very windy at Pittodrie; it’s also sunny and dry. Scott Brown has his top on.

11.29am GMT

The Celts are here!

#ABECEL #SPFL pic.twitter.com/n1PAmamCBo

11.09am GMT

Aberdeen (4-1-4-1) Lewis; Logan, Taylor, McKenna, Considine; Ojo; McLennan, Ferguson, McGinn, Kennedy; Main.
Substitutes: Cerny, Hernandez, Campbell, McGeouch, Bryson, Anderson, Cosgrove

Celtic (3-4-1-2) Forster; Bitton, Jullien, Ajer; Forrest, Brown, McGregor, Taylor; Ntcham; Griffiths, Edouard.
Substitutes: Bain, Frimpong, Hayes, Rogic, Christie, Elyounoussi, Bayo.

9.16am GMT

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Aberdeen v Celtic from Pittodrie. It looks like the match has survived Storm Dennis, so Celtic have the chance to go 13 points at the top - even if it’s only for a few hours. Rangers’ game at home to Livingston, which was postponed yesterday, kicks off at 3pm.

There were only two points between the teams when Rangers won at Celtic Park at the end of December. Since then Celtic have won all six league games, belting 22 goals in the process, and appear of a mind to run away with the title.

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