Scottish Premiership: Iheanacho strike keeps Celtic title hopes alive

Kelechi Iheanacho scored the decisive goal as Celtic secured a 2-1 win over Hibernian at Easter Road, keeping their push for the Scottish Premiership title on track.

The Nigerian forward came off the bench in the second half and delivered instantly, netting the winner just two minutes after his introduction to continue his strong run of form.

Early control and red card

Celtic made a positive start, dominating possession and creating several chances. Their advantage increased when Hibernian were reduced to ten men in the 21st minute after Jamie McGrath was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge.

The visitors took the lead in the 43rd minute through Daizen Maeda, who tapped home from close range. However, Hibernian responded before the break, with Joe Newell scoring the equaliser.

Iheanacho makes instant impact

With the game level, Iheanacho was introduced in the 70th minute, replacing Hyun-Jun Yang. The forward needed just two minutes to make his mark, finishing clinically to restore Celtic’s lead.

Title race remains open

The victory extends Celtic’s winning run to five matches across competitions. They remain second but are now level on points with leaders Hearts, who have a game in hand.

With three fixtures remaining, Celtic will continue their pursuit of a fifth consecutive league title, with key matches against Rangers, Motherwell and Hearts still to come.