Celtic 7-1 Hearts: Osmand and Nygren doubles send Hoops four points clear

Callum Osmand and Benjamin Nygren scored twice apiece as Celtic overwhelmed Hearts 7-1 at Celtic Park to move four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Martin O’Neill’s side answered Thursday’s 4-1 defeat by Benfica with a devastating attacking display on Sunday 18 October, scoring five times before half-time.

Kieran Tierney and Camilo Durán also found the net, while Jamie McCart scored an own goal. Laurent Mendy’s reply offered little relief for a Hearts side whose hopes of closing the gap on the leaders unravelled almost immediately.

Celtic 7-1 Hearts: early corners set the tone

Celtic were two goals ahead inside ten minutes, with Mika Baur’s corners causing problems on both occasions.

Liam Scales headed the first delivery towards Tierney, who nodded home after seven minutes. Three minutes later, Dane Murray’s flick reached Nygren and his deflected volley doubled the advantage.

Haissem Hassan then hit the post as Celtic continued to expose the visitors.

Hearts had arrived with an opportunity to move within two points of the champions. Instead, their inability to defend the early deliveries left them trying to recover before they had established themselves.

Osmand’s quick double takes the game away

Osmand marked his first Celtic start with two goals in three minutes.

He punished Sabri Guendouz’s misplaced pass in the 36th minute, then headed in after Durán followed up his own saved effort and sent the ball back across.

Mendy reduced the deficit after 41 minutes, but Celtic restored their four-goal cushion before the interval. Baur lifted the ball over goalkeeper Bernt Reus and Stephen Kingsley’s attempted intervention sent it into the net off McCart.

That left the hosts 5-1 ahead at the break, with the contest effectively settled.

Durán added the sixth in the 49th minute, curling his finish home after Tierney’s through ball. Nygren completed the scoring after 83 minutes, finishing from substitute Kasper Høgh’s pass, as detailed in Sky Sports’ match report.

Celtic turn Rangers’ dropped points into a bigger lead

Saturday’s 2-2 draw between Dundee and Rangers had given Celtic the opportunity to strengthen their position. They took it emphatically.

Celtic now have 24 points from nine games, four ahead of Rangers. Hearts remain third on 16, eight behind the leaders.

Our pre-match preview highlighted the contrast between Celtic’s strong league record and four defeats in five across all competitions. This result extends that domestic strength while providing O’Neill with a much-needed response to the disappointment in Lisbon.

For Hearts, the damage went beyond the scoreline. A chance to tighten the title race ended with the gap widening, their defending from corners and mistakes in possession giving Celtic repeated opportunities to take control.