Celtic and Aberdeen: A Retrospective on Their Contention for Scotland’s Top Two Positions

While the current Scottish Premiership standings may not reflect the historical one-two, Celtic and Aberdeen have frequently competed for the top two positions over the last decade. Notably, for four consecutive seasons, from 2014-15 to 2017-18, Aberdeen established itself as the second strongest team in Scottish football. This period led to several significant encounters between Celtic and Aberdeen at Pittodrie, with high stakes in each game. Four memorable matches from this era include: **Aberdeen 1-2 Celtic (9 November 2014)** On November 9, 2014, Aberdeen held a 1-1 draw until Virgil van Dijk secured a last-minute winning goal for 10-man Celtic. Despite captain Scott Brown’s red card, the victory propelled Ronny Deila’s team to the top of the league table. **Aberdeen 2-1 Celtic (3 February 2016)** In the subsequent season, Aberdeen secured significant victories against Celtic. On two occasions, Celtic departed the north-east having been defeated 2-1. Derek McInnes’ Aberdeen side demonstrated a particularly strong performance in the February fixture, with Jonny Hayes and Simon Church scoring to establish a two-goal lead within 40 minutes. **Aberdeen 0-1 Celtic (29 October 2016)** Brendan Rodgers’ initial visit to Pittodrie occurred eight years prior. The match was closely contested, with Tom Rogic’s half-volley ultimately deciding the outcome. The Australian midfielder notably scored against Aberdeen, a pattern he would repeat later that season in the Scottish Cup final, contributing to the sealing of Celtic’s Invincible Treble. **Aberdeen 0-2 Celtic (25 February 2018)** Encounters between these teams frequently proved intense. In this particular match, Celtic’s Mikael Lustig and Aberdeen’s Sam Cosgrove both received red cards within the final 15 minutes. Kieran Tierney’s final Premiership goal for Celtic secured a 2-0 victory.