With goals from Nicolas Kuhn and Alistair Johnston in the second half, Celtic overcame midweek loss in the Champions League to preserve their unbeaten start to the Premiership season.
It maintains Brendan Rodgers’ team’s stellar start to the season as they have won all of their home games as the October international break draws near.
The Hoops had a perfect record against Ross County, having only lost once in their previous 17 games played in Dingwall. Their most recent setback occurred in February 2021, and today the Celts aimed to build on that outstanding record.
Celtic got out to a fast start, keeping County confined to their own half for the majority of the first few minutes. Kuhn and Aistair Johnston connected nicely on the right in the seventh minute, with the Canadianâs cross reaching Adam Idah, but the Irishmanâs header flew barely wide of the far post.
As Celtic consolidated their lead in the tenth minute, Idah continued to be a threat, headed over from a corner taken by Arne Engels. A few minutes later, Ross Laidlaw was left reeling by Alex Valle’s thunderous long-range effort, but the ball went narrowly over the bar.
County made a valiant effort to escape their half, but the Hoops failed to exploit their opportunities. In the thirty-first minute, Johnston’s precise delivery found Daizen Maeda unmarked at the back post, but the Japanese forward’s header went high and wide of the goal, wasting yet another opportunity.
After a VAR check, Ross County was granted a penalty in the 38th minute, which dramatically changed the course of the match. It was determined that Liam Scales handled the ball as he attempted to stop a cross in the box. Before Ronan Hale could attempt the spot-kick, Kasper Schmeichel made an incredible low save to his right.
But there was a bitter twist for Celtic: Schmeichel was seen to have stepped off his line, so the referee ordered a retake. On his second try, Hale did not miss, sending the ball into the bottom corner to give Ross County a 1-0 lead and gift the Champions their first league goal of the year.
Having trailed by a goal at the half, the Hoops found themselves behind early in the second half as Ross County nearly doubled their advantage. In the 52nd minute, Hale saw Schmeichel off his position and attempted a speculative long-range shot that went just wide of the goal in an attempt to take advantage of a rare sight of goal.
Just two minutes later, Callum McGregor put matters into his own hands for Celtic, dribbling past two defenders before launching a low drive from the edge of the box that squeaked past the post. After the captain’s effort gave the team new life, Daizen Maeda broke through on goal, but Ross County keeper Ross Laidlaw made a huge stop to hold him off.
At the hour, Brendan Rodgers substituted Kyogo, Luke McCowan, and Paulo Bernardo for Adam Idah, Reo Hatate, and Arne Engels in an attempt to change the momentum. With the addition of new legs, Celtic’s offense gained momentum and they started to apply more pressure.
James Forrest entered the game fast after replacing Maeda in the 68th minute. Laidlaw easily stopped his curling attempt from the left in the 73rd minute, but Celtic continued to have chances as they looked for an equalizer.
The 77th minute saw the reward for their perseverance. Kyogo flicked on a corner kick at the near post, forcing Laidlaw to make an incredible save in response. But thanks to a deflection from a McGregor shot, the ball landed pleasantly for Johnston, who managed to bundle it across the line. With a fortunate touch, the Canadian tied the game at one and created tension for the thrilling finish.
Celtic maintained composure as the clock was running out and struck with precision on the counterattack. Deep in his own half, McCowan got a free kick, which the Hoops promptly took advantage of to surprise Ross County. Johnston pushed forward before finding Kuhn on the right flank. There were wild celebrations in the away end when the German winger cut inside with a burst of pace and placed a low shot into the bottom corner.
Celtic had completed their comeback, and they held strong in the closing moments to earn another crucial three points away from home and keep their unbeaten record in the Highlands. After the international break, Celtic will host Aberdeen in Paradise, setting up a potential top-of-the-table match.
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