ABADA BING!

Benjamin Siegrist kept Dundee United on level terms with Celtic at Parkhead this afternoon by denying Liel Abada, Giorgios Giakoumakis, Matt O’Riley and Anthony Ralston with a string of superb saves.

Ange Postecoglou threw on Jota and Josip Juranovic for James Forrest and Liam Scales respectively at the start of the second-half to try and give his charges an edge in the final third. But the substitutes were unable to break the deadlock.

Siegrist’s save from Giakoumakis in the 66th minute – he denied the Greek striker a certain goal with his outstretched right leg – was sensational.

It took until injury-time for Liel Abada to beat the Swiss player – and when the Israeli winger netted from close-range it raised the roof inside the packed stadum.

 

BITTON BLOW

Being without Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull for the Rangers game against Parkhead on Wednesday night will be far from ideal for Celtic.

But Ange Postecoglou was dealt a further blow in the cinch Premiership game against Dundee United when his stand-in captain Nir Bitton was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Bitton will miss the midweek encounter meaning that James McCarthy, who came on in the second-half, now looks set to start alongside Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley.  

 

WIM REMEMBERED

Wim Jansen, the Dutch manager who led Celtic to the Scottish title in the 1997/98 season, passed away at the age of 75 earlier this week.

His achievement, which ended Rangers’ record-equalling spell of dominance in Scottish football, was remembered at Parkhead today.

Highlights of that landmark campaign were shown on the giant screens before kick-off, Ange Postecoglou and Callum McGregor laid a wreath on the pitch and there was a minute’s applause.

It was a fitting send-off for the European Cup winner.