Willie Collum’s abysmal refereeing decisions cost Rangers two points last evening against Hibernian; Celtic, their bitter rivals, made no mistake in taking advantage of the scenario and registered a 2-0 victory to secure a two-point lead at the top of the Premiership standing.
Below are the Celtic players rated in their win against Hearts.
Joe Hart: 7
Hardly had to make a save except for a few catches and punches. Another comfortable clean sheet for the veteran Englishman.
Josip Juranovic: 8.5
Exquisite down the right with his marauding runs, crosses and cut insides. Won all the ground duels, drew fouls and set it up perfectly for Giorgos Giakoumakis in the closing minutes of the match.
Cameron Carter-Vickers: 8
A strong central defensive display from the USMNT international. Hearts posed little threat in the Hoops half. Did extremely well in terms of playing it out from the back.
Moritz Jenz: 8
Has emerged as the prime central defensive option amid the injury woe of Carl Starfelt. Expected to retain his place for the time being after another strong defensive display.
Greg Taylor: 8
Another excellent performance from the left fullback. Kept on making dribbling runs, whipping in crosses and testing Ross Stewart in Hearts’ goal.
Callum McGregor: 7.5
Orchestrated the game from his central midfield slot. Provided defensive cover, and also exhibited his distribution skills to create attacking threats upfront.
David Turnbull: 6.5
Misplaced a few passes and got dispossessed on one occasion. Should have offered more with his box-to-box movements. Was replaced by Reo Hatate early into the second half.
Matt O’Riley: 7
Missed a great scoring opportunity, and gave away possession a few times. But the young midfield prodigy showed his composure in the middle of the park. Made way for Giorgos Giakoumakis around the 72nd-minute mark.
Filipe Jota: 7.5
Kept on causing menace from the flank. Could have been more accurate with his crosses and long balls. Was closely marked by the visitors, but the Portuguese winger proved to be a constant threat all throughout the match.
Daizen Maeda: 8
Set it up for his fellow countryman Kyogo Furuhashi early into the contest. Worked hard as always to dominate space and possession. Made way for Liel Abada minutes before the hour mark.
Kyogo Furuhashi: 8
Depicted his poaching threat by finding the net early into the game. His movements caused problems in Hearts defence. Made way for Aaron Mooy in the second half.
Celtic Subs Vs Hearts
Liel Abada: 6
Failed to leave a mark since replacing Maeda.
Reo Hatate: 6.5
Returned to action following a brief injury absence. Settled in well in midfield.
Giorgos Giakoumakis: 7.5
Found the net moments before the final whistle.
Aaron Mooy: 7
Managed the game well during the remainder of the contest.
