Celtic clinched a dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over Hearts on Saturday to secure the Scottish Premiership title for a fifth straight season, extending their dominance and ending Hearts’ long wait to reclaim the league crown for the first time since 1960.
Going into the final day at Celtic Park, Hearts needed at least a draw to secure the championship after leading the table since September.
The Edinburgh side appeared on course for a historic breakthrough when captain Lawrence Shankland put them ahead just before half-time.
Shankland rose highest at the back post in the 43rd minute to meet Stephen Kingsley’s free-kick, guiding a header beyond the goalkeeper to register his 20th goal of the season and send the travelling supporters into celebration.
Celtic, however, responded almost immediately. A VAR review ruled that Alexandros Kyziridis had handled Kieran Tierney’s cross inside the penalty area, and Arne Engels stepped up to convert the resulting spot-kick despite Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow diving the right way.
The match remained finely balanced deep into the second half, with both sides pushing for a decisive goal.
Engels came close from a set-piece, while Kelechi Iheanacho struck the post with a low drive from distance as Celtic increased the pressure.
The breakthrough eventually arrived in the closing stages. In the 88th minute, Callum Osmand broke through on goal and squared unselfishly for Daizen Maeda, who tapped into an empty net.
The flag initially went up for offside, but a VAR check overturned the decision, sparking celebrations inside Celtic Park.
Hearts, chasing an equaliser to keep their title hopes alive, were caught out in stoppage time.
Osmand raced clear again and calmly finished into an empty net in the 98th minute to seal the win and confirm Celtic as champions.
Despite Hearts holding top spot for much of the campaign, the title race swung late after inconsistent results and a late surge from Celtic.
Rangers, once considered contenders, faded after a poor run of form in the championship group, leaving the contest between Celtic and Hearts on the final day.
Celtic’s season was also marked by managerial instability. Brendan Rodgers departed in October amid internal tension, before Martin O’Neill returned in an interim capacity and steadied the team.
Wilfried Nancy was later appointed in December but lasted just over a month after a difficult run of results. O’Neill was then reinstated and guided Celtic through a strong finish, including a perfect record in the championship group.
Celtic ended the season on 82 points, finishing two ahead of Hearts to secure a record-extending 56th Scottish league title and further cement their place at the summit of Scottish football.
