Hearts Extend Eight Points in Front at the Pinnacle Following Shankland's Penalty Defeats Celtic
History wasn't made at their home ground, as it's far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine strong chance of breaking Scottish football's four decade-long title duopoly. Make that an eight-point lead for the team over the visitors, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the Latter Period
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, following a tight first half that was fiercely fought. The striking aspect after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the home side. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before thumping a right-footed shot past the motionless the goalkeeper. More joy followed in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down the Hearts player for a foul that the captain tucked away. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic bounced back from Hearts’ rapid start. Murray, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, finishing a Tierney pass for 1-1.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in added time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We remain resolute” has become the popular anthem at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
- Full report coming soon.
