Joe Hart: Former Manchester City and England No.1 was a total spectator in the opening 45 minutes and he had absolutely nothing to do. He was helpless to prevent Ramirez from halving the deficit on 56 minutes and fortunate that the linesman's flag saved him moments later and he produced a superb stop from Ferguson's header. 7

Anthony Ralston: Started for the second game in a row in place of Josip Juranovic which was a confidence boost in itself. He galloped forward and set up Maeda for an early headed attempt which he put wide. The Scots full-back is a fine deputy for the Croatian internationalist and his career renaissance continues. 7

Cameron Carter-Vickers: The USA international defender has proved to be a shrewd loan signing and was put under some real pressure after the break and looked uncharacteristically flustered. He did limit the Reds frontline to scraps and defended well for the most part. 7

Carl Starfelt: The Swedish defender knew he was in a game against Vicente Besuijen and he brilliantly charged down a Ramirez shot that was on target. Alongside his defensive partner, he was rattled by an early second-half Aberdeen onslaught. 7

Greg Taylor: The left-back had found some real form of late. He was looking comfortable in the inverted full-back role. He was beaten to the punch by Lewis Ferguson who outjumped him in the penalty area to make it 2-2 and did not like dealing with crosses into the box. 6

Callum McGregor: The skipper donned the protective mask for the third consecutive game. It was his quickness of thought and shifting of the ball at every turn which saw the Reds midfield get an absolute chasing in the opening 45. It was his pass to Maeda who knocked it down into the path of O'Riley for the second. 7

Matt O'Riley: Restored to the starting eleven in place of Tom Rogic as Ange rotated his squad. The midfielder played a wonderful ball into the danger area which Jota profited from. It was his deflected strike that handed him his first Celtic career goal in 20 minutes. He was lucky not to concede a spot-kick when he fouled Lewis Ferguson in the box. 7

Reo Hatate: The Japanese playmaker hit an early snapshot which was easily gathered by Gary Woods in the Dons goal. The midfielder picked out some intricate passes but faded as the game wore on. He even earned a ticking off from referee Willie Collum for some first-half fouling. 6

Liel Abada: The Israeli winger really has hit a purple patch in his Celtic career. He was inches away from connecting with Maeda's low centre across the face of the goal. The 20-year-old has set an exceptionally high standard of late and copped a sore one from Bates and always looked capable of being a menace whenever he got the ball. 7

Daizen Maeda: The Japanese striker was deployed as a centre-forward as Giakoumakis dropped to the bench and he spurned a glorious chance when he skewed a header wide from 7 yards after a great cross from Ralston. He never gave the Aberdeen defence a moment of peace and he chased lost causes and harried all evening with his movement which was perpetual motion but his header apart never had a clear sighting of goal. 6

Jota: The Portuguese winger proved to be the match-winner the last time the two sides met at the same venue. It was he who broke the deadlock on 17 minutes as he bundled home Matt O'Riley's cross from the right to keep up his 100 per cent record of scoring against the Reds in every game Celtic have played against them this season and then fired the visitors ahead when they needed it most. 8

Substitutes:

Giorgos Giakoumakis: Given final 14 minutes in place of Maeda.

Nir Bitton: Also given last 14 minutes for Hatate. 

Tom Rogic: An 89th-minute replacement for O'Riley.

James Forrest: A last-minute substitute for Abada. 

Substitutes not used: Scott Bain, Liam Scales, James McCarthy, Mikey Johnston,  Stephen Welsh.