Boyata winner takes Celtic 25 points clear

Celtic continued their stranglehold over Aberdeen at Parkhead to stretch their Premiership lead to 25 points and unbeaten domestic run to 28 games.

The Dons hinted at ending a run of 23 straight league defeats in the east end of Glasgow during an even first half.

But their resistance ended when Dedryck Boyata rose to head home Scott Sinclair’s free-kick after 57 minutes.

Aberdeen rallied again late on but couldn’t find an equaliser to stop them slipping 27 points behind the leaders.

Looking at the hosts’ line-up, it was easy to see why the visitors fancied their chances of a first league win at Celtic Park since 2004.

Key players such as Moussa Dembele, Stuart Armstrong and Leigh Griffiths all missed out through injury, but Aberdeen’s five straight wins backed up that belief with form.

What the first half lacked in clear-cut chances, it made up for in tactical intrigue with both managers pushing and pulling their men from the sidelines like tinkering chess masters.

Aberdeen deployed a high line and they pressed the champions in a way they are not accustomed to domestically.

The work-rate from the visitors was impressive but as expected, Celtic enjoyed the majority of the possession and their first chance came when left-back Kieran Tierney curled an effort just over the bar after cutting inside and spying Joe Lewis off his line.

But with their main strikers out, Celtic’s killer instinct was also missing and there was a lack of focal point up front, despite some good movement between Scott Sinclair and Patrick Roberts in particular.

Sinclair passed up a chance inside the box just before the break, although Ryan Jack should be praised for a timely tackle.

The Dons were doing their job defensively but in the pursuit of stifling Celtic they were creating very little of their own. A Graeme Shinnie shot high over the bar was as close as they came in the first half.

But as many teams have found to their cost this season, you can only stifle this Celtic side under Brendan Rodgers for so long and 12 minutes after the break they were ahead through Boyata.

The big Belgian defender rose magnificently inside the six-yard box to head home an equally impressive Sinclair cross from the left-hand side.

Aberdeen looked punch drunk after that – the men in green and white sensed it and pushed for the second. They almost got it too through Sinclair but his curling right-foot effort battered off the bar.

Their crisp passing and movement off the ball, at times, left the visitors chasing shadows.

When the Dons settled they knew, if they were to take points, they had to push out, but they also knew that would leave gaps and Roberts almost exploited pace down the left-hand side but pulled his low drive just wide.

Aberdeen had scored in seven of their last eight visits to Celtic Park though and the belief they started with never really left them.

They continued to press Celtic, hoping to pounce on a stray ball or misplaced pass, but the champions saw it out with the professional swagger that we have become used to.

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