Celtic FC were crowned Scottish Premiership champions in dramatic fashion on Saturday after a late turnaround secured a 3–1 victory over title rivals Hearts at Celtic Park.
The result sealed Celtic’s fifth consecutive league title and a record-extending 56th Scottish league championship, overtaking arch-rivals Rangers FC in total league titles.
Hearts had gone into the decisive fixture leading the table by a single point, knowing that a draw would have secured their first league title since 1960 and ended the long-standing dominance of Celtic and Rangers in Scottish football.
The visitors took the lead through Lawrence Shankland’s first-half header, putting them in control of the title race early on.
Celtic responded just before halftime when Arne Engels converted from the penalty spot deep into added time, ensuring the contest remained finely poised at the break.
As the match approached its conclusion, Hearts remained on course for the title until a late twist in the 87th minute when Daizen Maeda struck what initially appeared to be an offside goal. However, a VAR review overturned the decision and awarded the goal, sending Celtic ahead and shifting the momentum of the championship race.
In a desperate attempt to find an equaliser, Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow pushed forward for a late set piece. However, the move backfired when Celtic capitalised on the empty net, with Callum Osmand scoring in the eighth minute of added time to confirm victory and spark celebrations among the home supporters.
The triumph capped a turbulent season for Celtic, which saw managerial changes involving Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy, before club legend Martin O’Neill returned twice as interim manager.
At 74, O’Neill secured what is reported to be his fourth league title with the club, more than two decades after his previous triumph.
For Hearts, however, the defeat marked a painful end to a season in which they came within touching distance of a historic league victory.
