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Full Time After Extra Time This is a live match. Extra Time Half Time

Celtic vs Aberdeen. Scottish Premiership.

Celtic ParkAttendance58,890.

Celtic 2

  • R Hatate (24th minute)
  • K Furuhashi (27th minute)

Aberdeen 2

  • E Sokler (50th minute)
  • G Shinnie (60th minute)

Celtic 2-2 Aberdeen: Dons fight back for dramatic draw in top of table clash

Report as Celtic and Aberdeen draw 2-2; Reo Hatate opened the scoring with Kyogo Furuhashi adding a second soon after; Ester Sokler and Graeme Shinnie levelled the game after the break; both sides had goals disallowed; Celtic remain top on goal difference

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Watch highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Aberdeen

Aberdeen proved they're ready for a title fight as they came from two goals down to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw with Celtic.

With both teams yet to drop a point this season there was great anticipation at Parkhead as Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin looked to show they can compete with the best in the league.

But some poor Dons defending handed Celtic a two-goal lead through Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi as the champions showed their intent.

Ester Solker came off the bench to pull the visitors back into it after the break with Graeme Shinnie levelling the enthralling encounter.

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Sky Sports' Alison Conroy and Luke Shanley break down Aberdeen's thrilling 2-2 draw with Celtic

It was then the visitors who thought they had taken the lead but VAR confirmed Duk had handballed Slobodan Rubezic's header into the net.

Celtic had late chances with Adam Idah's stoppage-time header ruled out for a foul as Aberdeen held on to remain unbeaten and only trailing Brendan Rodgers' side at the top on goal difference.

Determined Dons maintain pressure on Hoops

Only goal difference separates Celtic and Aberdeen
Image: Only goal difference separates Celtic and Aberdeen

There was a fear this encounter would not live up to the pre-match hype with Aberdeen facing their biggest test so far under the new manager.

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Celtic dominated the early stages and Arne Engles almost capitalised on Dimitar Mitov's mistake early on when he beat the goalkeeper to his own clearance only to smash his shot off the bar.

After Callum McGregor sent a long-range strike over, the Belgian sent Kyogo on his way and he sent a low ball to Hatate to fire into the corner from 12 yards.

Reo Hatate celebrates after opening the scoring for Celtic against Aberdeen
Image: Reo Hatate celebrates after opening the scoring for Celtic against Aberdeen

With Parkhead rocking, the Dons were rattled.

Gavin Molloy attempted to intercept Daizen Maeda's low cross but sent it straight into the path of Hatate.

The Dons defender did manage to block the midfielder's shot, but Kyogo pounced for Celtic's second.

Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates after doubling Celtic's lead against Aberdeen
Image: Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates after doubling Celtic's lead against Aberdeen

Leighton Clarkson should have pulled one back for the visitors when he found himself one-on-one with Kasper Schmeichel, but he sent his shot off the Celtic keeper and Alex Valle was there to clear.

Minutes later he sent a 25-yard free-kick into the goalkeeper's arms.

Aberdeen survived some more poor defending and a VAR check for a possible penalty before the break.

Slobodan Rubezic's back pass put Mitov in danger. Hatate then pounced on his attempted clearance and found Nicolas Kuhn.

His shot was eventually cleared with the keeper then managing to deny Alistair Johnston at the near post.

Aberdeen's Ester Sokler celebrates after scoring to make it 2-1 at Celtic
Image: Aberdeen's Ester Sokler celebrates after scoring to make it 2-1 at Celtic

Thelin replaced Clarkson and Kevin Nisbet with Ester Sokler and Duk at half-time and the change made an almost instant impact.

Sokler got on the end of a brilliant through ball from Jamie McGrath and slotted home with a VAR check confirming the Dons man was onside.

Image: Graeme Shinnie equalised for Aberdeen at Celtic

The goal energised Aberdeen as they dealt with any danger from Celtic while Liam Scales managed to clear the ball as Sokler looked for a second.

Minutes later, the Dons were level.

Graeme Shinnie celebrates after equalising for Aberdeen at Celtic
Image: Shinnie celebrates after equalising for Aberdeen at Celtic

After a sweeping counter-attack, McGrath laid the ball back into the path of Shinnie and the captain's shot from 18 yards was deflected past Schmeichel.

It was then Rodgers' turn to look to his bench as he brought on James Forrest and Paulo Bernardo for Maeda and Hatate.

But there was more drama as Duk thought he had put the Dons ahead only for his goal to be disallowed for handball following a VAR check.

Duk's goal was ruled out for a handball
Image: Duk's goal was ruled out for a handball

It was a wake-up call for Celtic and with 10 minutes of stoppage time left, they pushed for a third.

Mitov denied Forrest, who also dragged a shot wide, and Auston Trusty headed home from close
range during more than 10 minutes of stoppage time but Johnston was penalised for pushing Mitov.

There was further drama right at the death when Mitov made a brilliant save from Idah's header before Duk cleared off the line from Johnston, with Nick Walsh's full-time whistle spelling the end of a resulting VAR check for
handball.

Rodgers: Celtic were careless

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was left disappointed as his side blew a two goal lead to draw with Aberdeen, but credits Jimmy Thelin's side for their fighting spirit

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers to Sky Sports News:

"I'm obviously frustrated with a point. When you play at Celtic Park and when you draw it always feels like a defeat.

"We were just careless in the game. We were in a really good position in the first half. We were 2-0 up and could have had more goals, didn't quite take the opportunities and then there was a 10-minute period in the second half between the 50th and 60th minute where we were just a bit passive and not aggressive enough, with the ball and without the ball in particular.

"If you do that against good teams they can can punish you. They score the first goal then we were careless with the second one, we gave the ball away in a really bad area and then they had their tails up at 2-2.

"That ignited us again and then in the last 25 minutes we were doing everything to score - the speed of the game was good and we ended up wth 32 attempts at goal but we couldn't get the winner. We should have controlled it better."

Thelin: An emotional game

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin praised his team and the travelling fans after they came from two goals down to snatch a draw

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin speaking to Sky Sports News:

"It was a really emotional game. We said at half-time, we have to calm down a little and come back to our strategy. We needed to find a way and to do that was to be a little more true to ourselves.

"I think we have an amazing squad and team spirit. We have had some late winners this season, showing our never-give-in mentality.

"These games are important and difficult. They are going to test us in every area of our game. The most important thing is that we stick together inside games and find ways to perform well. I'm happy with that.

"We only focus on the next game. We don't focus on what happened already or the future. We now refocus our energy for the game against Dundee United at Pittodrie.

"This support, we need it every game. We may have hard times and also good times. Togetherness is the most important thing."

What's coming up in the Scottish Premiership?

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