SPL

Scottish Premiership round-up: Rangers injury blow and Aberdeen misery goes on

By Sports Desk September 17, 2023

Celtic moved clear at the top of the cinch Premiership while there were also wins for Rangers, St Mirren and Hearts.

Livingston’s bus broke down on the way to Dingwall but they claimed a point while there was also a share of the spoils at Rugby Park.

Here are five things we learned from the weekend’s action.

Rangers suffer Euro blow

Danilo was the most expensive of Rangers’ summer signings but his settling-in period will be prolonged.

He suffered a suspected fractured cheekbone when heading the opener in Saturday’s 2-0 win over St Johnstone following a clash of heads that also saw Saints captain Liam Gordon go off.

The injury came before the Europa League opener against Real Betis at Ibrox on Thursday night and Michael Beale will have to come up with another formula in his ever-changing attack.

Aberdeen are the worst this century

The Dons remain on two points after a 2-0 defeat by Hearts at Tynecastle in their fifth game of the season.

It is their worst start to a campaign since Ebbe Skovdahl lost his first seven league games as manager in 1999.

Aberdeen made 13 summer signings but there is little immediate sign of a return on investment.

The Dons have only won two of their last 13 games since Barry Robson was named permanent manager last season.

No stopping St Mirren

The unbeaten Buddies moved second as Scott Tanser’s cushioned volley proved enough to inflict Motherwell’s first league defeat of the season.

It completed an early-season double over the Lanarkshire side, who crashed out of the Viaplay Cup in Paisley.

Stephen Robinson’s side are unbeaten since the first game of the season, a Viaplay Cup defeat at Montrose.

Mixed feelings for new Hibs head coach

Nick Montgomery was happy with some of his side’s football and no doubt delighted to see them take a two-goal lead at Kilmarnock when Dylan Vente added to a Will Dennis own goal on the hour mark.

But signs of the inconsistency which dogged Montgomery’s predecessor, Lee Johnson, were soon evident as goals from Kyle Vassell and Joe Wright earned Killie a point and denied the new man a debut win.

Celtic introduce some new boys

Nat Phillips was handed a debut from the start as Celtic beat Dundee 3-0, although a minor ankle issue forced him off at half-time.

Three goals early in the second half allowed manager Brendan Rodgers to give some players a rest and he introduced Luis Palma and Paulo Bernardo to the Parkhead faithful while handing Reo Hatate a comeback from injury.

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  • Celtic 3-1 RB Leipzig: Kuhn double inspires Hoops to Champions League fightback Celtic 3-1 RB Leipzig: Kuhn double inspires Hoops to Champions League fightback

    Celtic's Nicolas Kuhn scored twice as the Bhoys fought back to clinch an impressive 3-1 victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday.

    Coming off a goalless draw at Atalanta on matchday three, Celtic recorded their second home win in the Champions League this season, moving up to 13th in the standings on seven points.

    They had to do things the hard way, falling behind to Christoph Baumgartner's close-range header after a corner came off Cameron Carter-Vickers in the 23rd minute.

    However, Kuhn levelled in the 35th minute with a superb curling effort from the edge of the box, then tapped into an open net for his brace shortly before half-time.

    Benjamin Sesko and Baumgartner went close to equalising after the break but Celtic's birthday boy, 38-year-old goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, pulled off a couple of fine saves before Reo Hatate sealed victory with a close-range finish in the 72nd minute. 

    Leipzig's wait for a first point in the Champions League this campaign continues, with their chances of reaching the knockout stages fading after four defeats in as many games.

     

    Data Debrief: Celtic flying high

    Celtic may have been humiliated in a 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on matchday two, but that was a mere blip in what has so far been an impressive European campaign.

    Their total of seven points is already their most in a Champions League campaign since 2012-13, when they collected 10, while they last netted more goals (currently nine) in a Champions League/European Cup campaign in 1977-78 (13). 

  • Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Sturm Graz: Malen late show extends Champions League home record Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Sturm Graz: Malen late show extends Champions League home record

    Donyell Malen netted an 85th minute winner to hand Borussia Dortmund a narrow 1-0 victory over winless Sturm Graz in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

    A dominant showing from Nuri Sahin's side made it three wins from four games so far in the competition, moving them up to fourth in the new 36-team league. 

    Dortmund started brightly at the Westfalenstadion but were unable to find a breakthrough, with Marcel Sabitzer, Maximilian Beier and Serhou Guirassy going close. 

    They recorded 13 shots in the first half, their most in the opening 45 minutes of a Champions League match without scoring since Opta recorded this data (since 2003-04).

    But Sturm Graz offered a threat on the break after the interval, with Jusuf Gazibegovic curling an effort narrowly wide before Mika Biereth missed a header from close range.

    However, Dortmund left it late to seal the win as Malen pounced on Emanuel Aiwu's loose pass before being sent through by Guirassy, with the Dutchman rattling the ball beyond 
    Kjell Scherpen to seal another Champions League home win.

    Data Debrief: Home comforts

    While Sahin has come under fire for Dortmund's displays away from home, there is no arguing with his record at the Westfalenstadion.

    He became the first Dortmund coach since the Bundesliga was founded to win each of his first seven home matches in charge (all competitions), while BVB are now unbeaten in 13 consecutive Champions League home games (W9 D4) - an extended club record. 

    Malen’s winner was timed at 84:56, Dortmund’s latest winning goal in a Champions League match since Kevin Groskreutz netted against Marseille in December 2013.

  • Lille 1-1 Juventus: French side's resistance broken after second-half penalty Lille 1-1 Juventus: French side's resistance broken after second-half penalty

    Lille held firm to hold Juventus to a 1-1 draw at home on Tuesday in the Champions League, extending their unbeaten run to nine matches.

    Jonathan David had fired the French club ahead in the first half, before Dusan Vlahovic scored a second-half penalty to level things up and leave both sides on seven points after four matches.

    Things didn't start well for the home side, with Teun Koopmeiners thinking he had scored the opener for Juventus only for it to be disallowed for offside.

    David put Lille ahead just three minutes later with their first chance of note in the match. The Canadian turned home to convert from a slick counter-attacking move.

    Goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier had to be on form to keep the home side ahead before half-time, sensationally saving a Vlahovic half-volley 10 minutes before the break. Koopmeiners, meanwhile, had another effort chalked off in the 42nd minute.

    Juventus upped the pressure in the second half, with Chevalier also upping things and pulling off two impressive saves in quick succession.

    But ultimately, the Lille resistance was broken by a Vlahovic penalty on the hour after Francisco Conceicao had been fouled by Benjamin Andre.

    The result leaves Juventus 10th and Lille 12th in the Champions League table.

    Data debrief: Lille looking good for qualification

    After drawing 1-1, Lille are unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions and three matches in the Champions League.

    The French side had beaten Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in back-to-back European games.

    They now have a seven-point buffer between themselves and the bottom eight in the league table.

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