GLASGOW (SCOTLAND) (ITALPRESS) – A dream vanished in the 88th minute. Maeda’s goal allowed Celtic to beat Hearts of Midlothian at home, an Edinburgh team that came to Celtic Park on the final day of the season with a two-point lead over the Green and Whites. A draw would have been enough to snatch the title from the reigning champions and, more importantly, to end the hegemony of the Glasgow teams, Rangers and Celtic, who have won the title uninterruptedly since 1985, when Aberdeen, then led by Alex Ferguson, won the league. A dream that seemed ever closer to realization, since in the 43rd minute, Shankland gave Hearts the lead. And although before half-time, in the 48th minute, Engels equalized from a penalty, the title remained in the hands of the visitors. In the second half, the atmosphere was heated and the game was intense, but Celtic couldn’t get ahead until, in the 88th minute, Maeda scored the 2-1 goal, which was first ruled for alleged offside and then upheld after a VAR review.
Hearts suffered a dramatic defeat, but they didn’t give up and charged forward, chasing a title draw with furious scrambles in the penalty area. Osmand made it 3-1 in the 98th minute, with the entire visiting team, including the goalkeeper, in the opponent’s half. It ended with a pitch invasion by the Celtic fans and tears from coach Derek McInnes’s men, who had been heroic for an entire season but were unlucky to slip into the bottom tier. Martin O’Neill’s Celtic won, once again championship for the fifth consecutive year.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
