Celtic Maintain Perfect Start With Victory Over St Johnstone
Celtic continued their perfect start to the Scottish Premiership season with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday night. Mika Baur scored the only goal of the match as Martin O’Neill’s side secured their sixth consecutive league victory and maintained their position at the top of the table.
Celtic entered the match with confidence after winning their opening five league fixtures, but O’Neill made several changes to his starting lineup. With important matches approaching, including an Old Firm cup meeting with Rangers, the Celtic manager used the opportunity to rotate his squad.
Among the changes was goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who made his Celtic debut. The former England international was immediately called into action as St Johnstone produced some of the best chances during the opening period.
Joel Cotterill came particularly close to giving the home side the lead, but Johnstone produced an excellent save to keep Celtic level. St Johnstone continued to show attacking ambition, while Celtic struggled to establish their usual control of the match.
The visitors eventually found the breakthrough shortly after half-time. In the 52nd minute, Haissem Hassan delivered a dangerous ball into the penalty area, where Mika Baur reacted quickly to finish from close range.
The goal was particularly significant for Baur because it was his first for Celtic since joining the club. His performance continued to improve throughout the match, and he was eventually recognised as the game’s standout player.
Celtic thought they had doubled their advantage later in the game when Hassan found the net. However, the goal was ruled out after officials determined that the ball had gone out of play during the build-up. VAR reviewed the incident but could not find conclusive evidence to overturn the original decision. The ruling subsequently generated debate among pundits and supporters.
St Johnstone continued to search for an equaliser during the closing stages. The hosts created several opportunities, but Celtic’s defence held firm. Substitute players also helped Celtic manage the final stages as O’Neill looked to protect the narrow advantage.
The victory was important for Celtic because it demonstrated their ability to collect three points even when they were not at their best. St Johnstone made the game difficult and had opportunities to score, but Celtic’s defensive organisation and goalkeeping ultimately proved decisive.
The result means Celtic have now won all six of their Scottish Premiership matches, maintaining their 100 percent record. They also remain five points clear of second-placed Rangers at the top of the table.
Attention now turns to a busy period for O’Neill’s team. Celtic face Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final before another Old Firm league meeting later in September.
For Baur, however, the night belonged to him. His first Celtic goal proved decisive and gave his team another valuable victory as they continue their impressive defence of the Scottish Premiership title.
