The pressure on Celtic's new manager, Wilfried Nancy, intensified dramatically as his side slumped to a 2-0 defeat away to Motherwell at Fir Park. This result marks a dismal fifth loss for Nancy in his first four weeks at the helm and hands Motherwell their first victory over the Glasgow giants in a decade.
Said and Watt Seal Historic Fir Park Win
The home side took a firm grip on the match when Ibrahim Said scored his first goal for the club. The defender rose powerfully to meet a pinpoint cross from Stephen O'Donnell, heading past Kasper Schmeichel to send the home fans into raptures. O'Donnell was promptly mobbed by his celebrating teammates in a moment captured by photographers.
Motherwell's second goal arrived after a costly error from the experienced Celtic goalkeeper. Kasper Schmeichel's mistake was pounced upon by Elliot Watt, who showed composure to double the lead and effectively seal the three points. The victory severely dented Celtic's ambition to draw level with Scottish Premiership leaders Heart of Midlothian.
Rangers Capitalise to Close Gap at the Top
Elsewhere in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers moved to within six points of Hearts after securing a 2-1 win against St Mirren. Goals from Thelo Aasgaard and Emmanuel Fernandez were enough for Danny Rohl's side, despite a late consolation from Mikael Mandron. Rangers keeper Jack Butland played a crucial role, saving a 75th-minute penalty from Marcus Fraser to preserve the lead.
Other Premiership Action
The weekend's fixtures brought significant movement across the table. Dundee United powered back into the top six with a 3-1 victory at the league's bottom club, Livingston. The match saw a flurry of late action, including an own goal and a strike from Amar Fatah.
In Edinburgh, Hibernian continued their positive form by defeating a lacklustre Aberdeen 2-0 at home, with second-half goals from Thibault Klidje and Junior Hoilett. Meanwhile, Dundee climbed to ninth in the table after coming from behind to beat Kilmarnock 2-1 at Dens Park, with Ashley Hay and Charlie Reilly overturning Greg Kiltie's early opener.
The results have set up a compelling narrative for the rest of the season, with Motherwell's historic win serving as the major headline and raising serious questions about the start of the Wilfried Nancy era at Celtic Park.
