The Jambos Push Eight Points Ahead in Front at the Summit After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Sees Off Celtic
History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine credible shot of ending Scottish football's 40-year title duopoly. They now lead by eight points for the team over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the After the Break
A brief but pivotal phase were key, following a tight first half that was fiercely fought. What was so notable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before blasting a strike past the stationary Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, Dane Murray bringing down the Hearts player for a penalty that Lawrence Shankland converted. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; his problems are mounting.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. Murray, who had a difficult day, conceded an own goal due to confusion when trying to clear a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, turning home a Tierney pull-back for 1-1.
Solid Backline
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the minutes passed. “We shall not be moved” has become the favoured chant at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Complete analysis coming soon.
