Hearts (A) 0–2
Falkirk (H) 0–1 →The verdict
Event data: Opta
A defeat that matched the balance of chances.
6–13 shots · 1–3 big chances · 0.55–1.17 NPxG
Watch Highlights
SPFL YouTubeSummary
How the match was decided
The match in three battles
Chance qualitySTRONG OPPONENT EDGE
0.55 – 1.17
Expected goals · Aberdeen – Celtic
AFC xG baseline: 1.19
0.09 – 0.09
xG per shot
6 – 13
shots
Chance quality was broadly even between the sides.
Territory & progressionOPPONENT EDGE
0.71 – 2.81
Expected threat created · Aberdeen – Celtic
AFC xT baseline: 1.88
40% – 60%
field tilt
33 – 70
final-third entries
Celtic had the better of the territorial battle.
Defensive resistanceABERDEEN EDGE
1.17 xGA
chances conceded
0.39 better than AFC baseline (1.56)
23 (base 25)
Celtic box touches
0.09
xG per Celtic shot
A resilient defensive display — chances conceded were below Aberdeen's usual level.
ShapeAberdeen started 4-2-3-1 and changed to 4-4-2 on 75’. Celtic started 4-3-3, then 4-2-3-1 on 80’.
The match by half
| Aberdeen | Usual | Celtic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| xG | 0.55 | 1.19 | 1.17 |
| Big chances | 1 | 1.8 | 3 |
| Touches in box | 10 | 21.6 | 23 |
| Possession % | 28 | 48.1 | 72 |
Aberdeen were a different side after half time — 0.52 xG to 0.03 before it.
Usual = Aberdeen’s average for this half this season.
How this is measured
FotMob period stats. Usual = Aberdeen’s average for this half across 38 games in 2025-26. Green or red marks a figure clearly above or below our own norm, never a comparison with Celtic.
Lineups
Shots
Where the chances came from
xG timeline
Aberdeen 0.55Celtic 1.17GoalAberdeen above · opponent below · shaded = sustained pressure
16%
32%
52%
Match odds from simulating these shots at their own xG (20,000 runs) — for fun, not a prediction: it scores what should have happened, not what did.
Each step is a shot; the line climbs by that shot's xG. Steeper, sustained climbs (shaded) mark spells of real pressure.
Aberdeen shots
Goal
Saved
Blocked
Post
Off target
6 shots
Celtic shots
2 goals: 2 open play
Goal
Saved
Blocked
Post
Off target
13 shots
Shot mix & shots over time
6shots · 2 on target · 0.55 xG
By situation
50%
17%
33%
Open play350%
Counter117%
Free kick / throw233%
By body part
67%
33%
Right foot467%
Left foot233%
How this is measured
Every shot in one bucket only. Open play covers unassisted and assisted attempts; counter is a fast break; free kicks, direct set pieces and throw-in routines are grouped because there are rarely enough of any one of them in a single match to read separately. A mix heavy on corners and free kicks with few open-play shots means the side needed a dead ball to get near the goal.
Shots over timefull match · drag to focus a period
Aberdeen 6Celtic 13
0'HTFT
Drag across the chart to pick any window.
How this is measured
Five-minute buckets — a side takes roughly a dozen shots a match, so the two-minute bars used for passing would be almost all gaps. Use the buttons for the common windows, or drag across the chart for anything else.
In context
| Aberdeen | This match | This season 11 games | 5-year 196 games | SPFL average 132 team-games | Where that sits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shots | 6 | 13 | 12.2 | 14.5 | bottom 10% — fewest since @ Heart of Midlothian, Feb 2026 · 14 of 196 lower |
| bottom 10% — fewest since @ Heart of Midlothian, Feb 2026 · 14 of 196 lower | |||||
| Shots in the box | 4 | 8.7 | 8 | 10 | below usual · 22 of 196 lower |
| below usual · 22 of 196 lower | |||||
marker = 5-year mean
Passing
How the ball moved
Build-Up Play
Where Aberdeen's passes were and how they progressed the ball
Pass Territory
60.3%
27.1%
12.6%
Own Half
Middle
Final 3rd
Season avg: 46.1% own half
GK Distribution
GK Long Ball %
55.3%avg 60.8%
GK Total Passes
38avg 31
Build-Up Quality
Own-Half Accuracy
82.7%avg 86.1%
Progression
Progressive Passes
17avg 50
Directness
51.7%avg 57.9%
Season avg
Above avg
Below avg
In context · full match
| Aberdeen | This match | This season 11 games | 5-year 196 games | Where that sits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passes | 276 | 394.6 | 392.9 | below usual · 31 of 196 lower |
| below usual · 31 of 196 lower | ||||
| Pass accuracy % | 68.5 | 75 | 72.3 | below usual · 51 of 196 lower |
| below usual · 51 of 196 lower | ||||
| Passes into the final third | 11 | 30.3 | 25.4 | bottom 10% — fewest since @ Celtic, Dec 2025 · 10 of 196 lower |
| bottom 10% — fewest since @ Celtic, Dec 2025 · 10 of 196 lower | ||||
| Long balls | 42 | 57.3 | 57.9 | bottom 10% — fewest since vs St. Mirren, Oct 2026 · 16 of 196 lower |
| bottom 10% — fewest since vs St. Mirren, Oct 2026 · 16 of 196 lower | ||||
| Long balls, % of passes | 15.2 | 14.8 | 15.5 | about normal · 103 of 196 lower |
| about normal · 103 of 196 lower | ||||
marker = 5-year mean
Players
Player contributions
Player contributions
GK
M
D. MitovGK90'
2 saves
23/38
Pass
100%
Duels
2
Saves
DEF
J
A. JensenDEF90'
4 tackles
26/30
Pass
64%
Duels
5
Tkl+Int
D
A. DorringtonDEF90'
33/41
Pass
33%
Duels
3
Tkl+Int
J. MilneDEF90'
23/33
Pass
33%
Duels
1
Tkl+Int
N. DevlinDEF90'
16/21
Pass
33%
Duels
2
Tkl+Int
MID
S
G. ShinnieMID73'
2 key passes
13/18
Pass
50%
Duels
2
Key P
N
S. NilsenMID67'
12/20
Pass
0%
Duels
-
Key P
M
N. MilanovićMID73'
8/13
Pass
33%
Duels
-
Key P
A
A. AouchicheMID90'
1 key pass · 3 interceptions
20/28
Pass
75%
Duels
1
Key P
K
T. KeskinenMID73'
3 dribbles won
4/7
Pass
50%
Duels
-
Key P
FWD
Y
K. YengiFWD55'
4/9
Pass
18%
Duels
-
Shots
Substitutes
S
E. SoklerFWD35'
1 big chance created · 1 key pass
5/8
Pass
50%
Duels
-
Shots
C
L. ClarksonMID23'
6/10
Pass
0%
Duels
-
Key P
P
D. PolvaraMID17'
1 key pass
4/7
Pass
50%
Duels
1
Key P
B
F. BoydMID17'
1/2
Pass
100%
Duels
-
Key P
M
S. MorrisFWD17'
2/2
Pass
0%
Duels
1
Shots
Context
How this match compares
Across the archive
All recordsWhere this match ranks against every Aberdeen match with data for each metric — coverage varies (shots/possession from 2015-16, xG from 2020-21, most else from 2021-22; see /records for each metric's exact range). Only metrics in the top or bottom 10 are shown.
31.42
PPDA
5th highest of 196
46
Passes in the opposition half
8th lowest of 196
Where this performance ranks
Against Aberdeen’s other matches this season — only the standout highs and lows.
17progressive passes
33rd of 33 · season worst
10box touches
36th of 38 · among the worst
Form:L(last 1)
Home this season: 7-5-7, 1.42–1.41 xG avg
Historical Context
Games at this ground, and how this match compares to the season so far
Vs Celtic at Home — every meeting on record
0-2-7(9 games)
0.96–2.16avg xG (n=8)
LLLDLLLLD
This match vs season so far
37 comparable games — each metric says how many of them actually have that stat.
xG
0.55avg 1.21
8th worst of 38 · Highest 3.76, 14 December 2025 (2-1) · Lowest 0.32, 11 January 2026 (0-2)
xGA
1.17avg 1.57
16th best of 38 · Highest 4.72, 21 December 2025 (1-3) · Lowest 0.10, 11 April 2026 (2-0)
Possession
29%avg 49%
2nd worst of 38 · Highest 72%, 27 December 2025 (1-1) · Lowest 27%, 21 December 2025 (1-3)
Shots
6.0avg 11.4
6th worst of 38 · Highest 21.0, 6 December 2025 (3-1) · Lowest 5.0, 28 February 2026 (0-1)
Shots on target
2.0avg 3.4
18th worst of 38 · Highest 9.0, 5 October 2025 (4-0) · Lowest 0.0, 3 January 2026 (0-1)
Big chances
1.0avg 1.8
19th best of 38 · Highest 5.0, 14 December 2025 (2-1) · Lowest 0.0, 23 November 2025 (1-0)
Box touches
10.0avg 21.6
3rd worst of 38 · Highest 35.0, 24 January 2026 (6-2) · Lowest 7.0, 21 March 2026 (1-4)
Final third entries
33.0avg 56.0
3rd worst of 38 · Highest 85.0, 14 March 2026 (1-1) · Lowest 29.0, 21 December 2025 (1-3)
Key passes
5.0avg 8.2
14th worst of 38 · Highest 15.0, 5 October 2025 (4-0) · Lowest 3.0, 23 November 2025 (1-0)
Corners
1.0avg 4.8
worst of 38 · Highest 11.0, 5 October 2025 (4-0) · Lowest 2.0, 18 October 2025 (1-0)
Tackles
12.0avg 15.9
10th worst of 38 · Highest 27.0, 9 November 2025 (1-1) · Lowest 6.0, 27 December 2025 (1-1)
Interceptions
8.0avg 8.5
16th best of 38 · Highest 20.0, 28 February 2026 (0-1) · Lowest 2.0, 27 December 2025 (1-1)
PPDA
31.4avg 14.6
worst of 33 · Highest 23.4, 9 November 2025 (1-1) · Lowest 9.3, 11 January 2026 (0-2)
Counter-press rate
5%avg 5%
16th worst of 33 · Highest 11%, 24 February 2026 (0-0) · Lowest 2%, 9 November 2025 (1-1)
avg
Above avg
Below avg