Celtic were visited by Hibernian for a tight, low-scoring William Hill Premiership encounter at Celtic Park on September 27, 2025. The game finished 0-0 with a goalless draw declared. As a result, Celtic dropped from the premier place on the league table. For Celtic, Kelechi Iheanacho was absolutely key, hitting the bar and having an incorrect offside disallowed goal. On the other end, Hibernian’s keeper, Ralph Sallinger, was stellar with a string of important tone-setting saves.
The game opened with both teams clearly wanting to earn every point they could. Celtic, managed by Brendan Rodgers, wanted to use the full force of their home crowd. Iheanacho, fresh off a brace in the Europa League, was the one who got things going and he would star in many of the best moments. Ironically, for all the good work they did Celtic were completely toothless in front of goal.
Key Moments in the Match
Celtic’s early pressure was felt when Iheanacho hit the bar with a deft curling effort, almost giving his side the lead. As the game progressed, he found the back of the net only to see his goal disallowed for offside, a decision that left fans and players alike frustrated.
Johnny Kenny had his chances as well to hit the back of the net. Although earlier in the game, he whiffed on another big headed opportunity. Late in the second half stoppage time, Sallinger denied his low blast from close range. These near-misses were a microcosm of Celtic’s inability to finish chances, even after controlling the possession without much trouble.
Hibernian’s defensive game plan was key to preventing Celtic from breaking through. Washington head coach David Gray overhauled his back three. He introduced Grant Hanley and Jack Iredale into the starting mix. Their performance fortified Hibernian’s defense to the point that Sallinger barely had to uncap his Nescafé before performing his goalkeeper’s heroics.
“Biggest pleasing point to come and keep a clean sheet. A lot’s been said about the goals we’ve lost of late and nobody’s been more frustrated than myself and the players, we know that, and I thought, to a man, defensively we were outstanding.” – David Gray
Substitutions and Tactical Adjustments
Midway through the second half, Celtic made key tactical changes that turned the game. Having introduced James Forrest from the bench to add new pace and vigor into their attacking play. Further in, Johnny Kenny had replaced Daizen Maeda as Celtic tried to find a route from opportunities to goals. Despite these changes, the breakthrough remained elusive.
Celtic’s failure to put the ball in the net was only part of the story, as Hibernian stood firm. With Gray calling the shots, the guests were on point with their game plan from the jump. They put the focus on hard defensive plays but looked for counterattacks. Sebastian Tounekti was solid on his home debut for Hibernian as the defence as a whole was effective enough to stifle Dunfermline’s attacking efforts.
Brendan Rodgers admitted that his team could feel aggrieved but pointed to some positives in his side’s performance.
“We’ve had it a few times this season. I think probably in the other couple of games that we’ve had, where we’ve been 0-0, we didn’t look like we were going to create a great deal, if I’m honest. But I think in this game today, there was no doubt.” – Brendan Rodgers
Implications of the Draw
The tie was especially important for the race for the Scottish Premiership title. With this victory, Hearts jumped to the top of the league table. Now Celtic need to take their new optimism forward into the next few fixtures and keep improving. The pressure will be on Rodgers and his players to convert possession into goals as they seek to reclaim their position as league leaders.
Hibernian will be proud of their defensive performance in frustrating their stronger opponents and earning a valuable point. For Gray’s side, it represents a step forward after recent struggles and showcases their potential as they continue to build momentum in the league.
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