celtic vs motherwell saw Martin O’Neill make three changes to the side that won at Ibrox, bringing Kieran Tierney back into the starting XI while Julian Araujo was omitted and Kelechi Iheanacho started the match on the bench.
Celtic Vs Motherwell: What lineup changes shaped the match?
O’Neill named a starting XI that featured Vil Sinisalo in goal with a back four of Colby Donovan, Benjamin Arthur, Liam Scales and the returning Kieran Tierney. The manager made three changes from the side that triumphed at Ibrox: Colby Donovan, Kieran Tierney and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came into the team in place of Julian Araujo, Auston Trusty and Luke McCowan.
In midfield, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain partnered Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren. Up front, Daizen Maeda led the line with Seb Tounekti and Hyun-jun Yang operating out wide. The substitutes named included Doohan, Cvancara, McCowan, Iheanacho, Bernardo, Saracchi, Murray, Forrest and Ralston. Kieran Tierney returned after missing the win at Ibrox in the Cup the previous week, while Julian Araujo, who had impressed since arriving on loan, was a notable omission from the matchday selection. Kelechi Iheanacho was among the bench options as he looks for more game time.
What happened on the day and what did it mean?
The match narrative featured an early lead for Motherwell when Elijah Just had given Motherwell the advantage before Celtic fought back to level. Hyun-jun Yang equalised for Celtic against Motherwell, and the match moved on from that exchange. The fixture arrived six days after Celtic’s triumph at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup quarter-final, creating an opportunity to put scoreboard pressure on title rivals and, in the words used around the match, to essentially eliminate Motherwell from contention.
Earlier meetings this season between the two sides had produced one home win apiece, with each team prevailing on its own ground in their previous encounters. With that recent competitive balance in mind, the selection decisions — the return of Tierney, the inclusion of Donovan and the reintroduction of Oxlade-Chamberlain — framed this match as both a chance to consolidate momentum after Ibrox and an opportunity to respond to Motherwell’s ability to take the lead.
Notes: the facts in this piece are drawn from the team announcements and match events surrounding the Celtic selection and the Motherwell match. Details include the named starting XI, the substitutions list, the three changes from the Ibrox-winning lineup, the return of Kieran Tierney, the omission of Julian Araujo, Kelechi Iheanacho’s place on the bench, Elijah Just’s opening goal for Motherwell and Hyun-jun Yang’s equaliser for Celtic in the fixture.
